THE  LIBRARY 


OF 


THE 


OF 


UNIVERSITY 
CALIFORNIA 


LOS  ANGELES 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand 

How    to    Attain    It 


By 

Bernard    De    Bear 

Principal,   Pitman's   Metropolitan   School; 

Past  President,    National  Society  of  Shorthand   Teachers 

Holder  of  First  Speed   Certificate  at   Two   Hundred 

Words  per  Minute 


THIRD     £<D/770.Y 


NEW  YORK 

ISAAC  riT.MAX   &  SONS,  THE  PHONOGRAPHIC   DEPOT, 
31   UNION  SQUARE   (\VEST) 

TORONTO,  CANADA 
The  Commercial  Text-Book  Co. 
The    Copp,  Clark    Co.,  Limited 


h 


Preface  to  the    Second    Edition 


To  the  majority  of  shorthand  students  the  first  consideration  after 
having  mastered  the  rules  in  the  text-books,  nay,  often  before  this  has 
been  done,  is  the  attainment  of  "  speed."  Everything  pertaining  to 
tliis  end  is  eagerly  seized  upon  by  them  ;  in  fact,  we  find  too  frequently 
undue  haste  is  evinced  in  their  eagerness  to  reach  the  goal. 

It  is,  therefore,  with  pleasure  one  notices  in  the  course  of  Mr.  De  Bear's 
work  that  he  points  out  "  how  not  to  do  it,"  as  well  as  "  how  to  do  it." 
It  is  one  thing  to  have  this  eagerness  and  the  necessary  perseverance, 
and  it  is  another  to  have  them  rightly  directed.  All  have  not  the 
same  mental  dexterity  or  mental  capacity,  but  it  is  very  encouraging 
to  find  a  statement  made  by  the  Author  at  the  very  outset  of  his  work 
that  110  student  need  despair  of  reaching  a  speed  of  140  words  per  minute, 
provided  the  ground  work  has  been  properly  laid. 

Mr.  De  Bear  appeals  to  us  from  the  standpoint  of  an  "  expert  "  in 
every  sense  of  the  word  ;  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject,  his 
high-speed  attainments,  his  "  up-to-date  "  acquaintance  with  every- 
thing pertaining  to  Phonography  give  to  his  remarks  weight  and  force 
which  no  one  can  gainsay.  The  following  pages  are  of  inestimable 
value  to  every  phonographic  teacher  and  practitioner.  It  would  be 
superfluous  to  direct  the  attention  of  teachers  to  the  various  matters 
treated  of — they  will  at  once  appreciate  their  value  ;  but  to  phono- 
graphers  who  have  to  make  their  way,  in  more  senses  than  one,  I  may 
be  pardoned  if  I  say  that  not  one  of  these  "  hints  "  can  be  treated 
lightly  by  them,  nor  could  any  of  them  have  been  omitted  without 
serious  loss.  Whether  one  reads  the  portions  devoted  to  "  the  pen  and 
the  ink,"  "  reading  practice,"  "  how  to  read,"  or  upon  the  "  slight 
variations  from  the  text-books,"  or  "  on  the  initial  vowel,"  one  cannot 
but  be  struck  with  the  thought  that  the  Author  has  put  his  phono- 
graphic life's  experiences  into  a  few  words  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellows, 
and  these  "  hints  "  are  put  in  such  a  form  as  to  afford  excellent  reading 
or  writing  practice,  and  they  readily  fix  themselves  in  the  memory. 
The  practicability  of  everything  put  forward  in  the  book  is  a  leading 
feature.  Teachers  will  find  the  various  chapters  excellent  for  dictation 
work,  or  they  may  be  used  as  notes  upon  which  valuable  lessons  or 
lectures  may  be  prepared,  to  the  lasting  benefit  of  those  under  their 
charge.  To  the  student  toiling  alone,  for,  in  my  opinion,  the  study 
of  the  subject  without  the  aid  of  a  teacher  must  be  a  toil,  this  work 
will  be  extremely  helpful  in  a  number  of  ways  ;  good  shorthand 
reading  practice,  writing,  or  dictation  practice  with  the  advantage  of 
an  excellent  key  in  both  shorthand  and  letterpress,  and  an  additional 
advantage  in  the  fact  of  the  letterpress  being  spaced  out  into  sections 
of  ten  words,  and  each  100  words  being  distinctly  indicated. 


IV  I'KKKACE    TO    THE    SECOND    EDITION 

Even  to  the  most  competent  and  successful  teacher  this  little  book 
must  be  of  the  greatest  value.  as  it  enables  him  to  drive  home  his 
various  suggestions  to  his  students  with  a  double  force,  seeing  that  he 
can  point  to  them  as  being  emphasised  so  admirably  and  clearly  by 
such  a  high  authority  as  Mr.  De  Bear  is  admitted  to  be. 

One  cannot  overlook  the  beauty  of  the  shorthand  characters  in  the 
book.  The  name  of  Mr.  Munro-Peebles  is  so  well  known  in  connection 
with  such  work  that  it  is  only  accessary  to  say  that  this  is  an  excellent 
example  of  how  Phonography  should  be  written. 

But  there  is  one  other  matter  referred  to  in  the  course  of  these  j 
which,  although  not  coming  strictly  under  the  head  of  "  high  speed  in 
shorthand,"  is  inseparably  connected  with  it.  and  without  a  knowledge 
of  which  all  the  best  energies  of  teachers  and  students  alike  would  be 
so  much  wasted  labour,  and  that   i-  a  study  of   English.      How  i 
high-speed   student  female)   expect   to   turn   out   satisfactory 

work  with  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  mother  tongue  ?  How  can 
students  expect  to  reap  the  lull  benefit  of  their  attainments  in  speed 
it  they  mar  all  by  making  fearful  blunders  in  their  transcripts  ?  In 
addition  to  what  has  been  s;>.id,  and  to  prove  that  this  matter  deserves 
more  of  the  attention  of  students  than  it  usually  receives,  I  will  instance 
the  results  of  an  examination  held  under  a  public  body  in  1900,  in 
which  731  candidate-  pre-ented  themselves  and  attempted  the 
mentary  paper.  Out  of  this  number  400  failed  to  obtain  fifty  marks 
out  of  a  possible  1'JO.  and  were  ranked  as  failures  '. 

I  am  quite  convinced  that  a  faithful  perusal  and  careful  consideration 
of  this  little  work  can  have  but  one  result — the  furthi  ranee  of  the  art 
as  an  art,  and  the  removal  of  many  of  those  hindrances  which  seem 
to  beset  the  path  of  the  youthful  aspirant  to  high  speed  in  shorthand. 

I  •'. .    J .    ( '  K 
Mntn  in  -.\.'t-r.   i,/  Felruary,  1901. 


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BY  F.   HEEI.IS. 
President  (1906-7)  Incorporated  Society  of  Shorthand  Teachers. 

PHK  necessity  for  the  publication  of  a  further  enlarged  and/ 
revised  edition  of  this  liook  is  sufficient  evidence,  not  only/ 
of  the  widespread  interest  evinced  by  students  and  practi- 
tioners in  /  the  acquisition  of  high  speed  writing,  but  of 
the  high  /  appreciation  the   work   has   met   with  at   the  hands  of  / 
teachers  of  the  subject  throughout  the  world. 

Apart  from  the  /  regular  text-books  containing  the  rules  of  the 
systeta,  it  is  probably  the  most  quoted  book  appertaining  to  short- 
hand. Wherever  the  /  subject  of  speed  is  being  considered,  the 
opinions  expressed  in  /  ''  High  Speed  in  Shorthand  :  How  to  Attain 
100  It."  are  invariably  //  quoted  as  being  those  of  the  standard  authority, 
beyond  which  /'  there  can  be  no  appeal. 

The  experience  of  the  author  ' — which  is  perhaps  unique — as  a 
practical  note-taker.  a>  a  teacher,  and  as  the  head  of  a  large  and 
successful  /  commercial  training  school,  has  fitted  him  in  an  especial 
manner  /  to  act  as  "guide,  philosopher  and  friend"  to  would-be 
\\  riters.  He  was  the  first  to  secure  Pitman's  Speed  Certificate  / 
for  200  words  per  minute,  and  has  always  taken  /  a  deep  personal 
interest  in  the  work  of  high  speed  /  writers. 

Having    successfully  accomplished    the    journey,    he    can    look 
200       back  // 

••  l-'.ven  as  one 
at  rest  upon  the  mountain  summit,  marks  / 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand : 


Words.  his  path  wind  up  liy  precipice  and  en 

•  thick-set      woods  .shrunk  to  a  patch  :   through  hogs, 
glittering  false  green  :     do\\  n  hollows  where  he  toiled 
hreathless  :  on  di/./y  bridges  where  /  his  feet 
had  well-nigh  slipped  :  beyond  the  sunny  lawns.  / 
the  cataract,  and  the  cavern  and  the  pool, 
backward  to  /  those  dim  flats  whcrefroin  he  sprang 
to  reach  the  bin 

And  knowing    the    difficulties    encountered,    and     remembering    the 
pitfalls  in  /  the  path,  he  is  in  a  position  to  offer  help     and  guidance 
300        to   those  who  are   intent  upon  climbing  to  /    the  very  summit   of  the 
mount  oi 

Busy   man      though   lie    is.    whilst    fulfilling   the   onerous   duties 

attaching   to  /    his    position    as    Principal    of    Pitman's    School,    he 

give  weeklv  lectures  and  conduct    model   tests  for  the 

of  the  School's  examination  candidates.      He  has  thus  never 

lost  /  touch  with  the  work,  and   appears  to  find   keen  enjoyment  /  in 

leading  young  enthusiasts  on  to  further  conquests. 

The  methods  /  advocated  are  no   mere  theories,  but   have  been 
roughly    tested.  /     That    they   are   sound   and    reliable   has   been 
abundantly  demonstrated  /  by  the  success  which   has  attended  the 
400  those  /,   who  have  been  trained  on  the  line.s  indicated. 

It  is  /  not  an  easy  matter  to  reach  a  speed  of/  150  to  2OO  words 
per  minute,  but  /  the  practical  value  of  the  necessary  training  is 
incalculable,  and  /  as  a  mental  discipline  is  most  excellent.  The 
work  is  difficult,  the  goal  is  hard  to  reach  ;  but  success  is  /  not  in 
the  attainment,  rather  is  it  in  the  earnest,  /  strenuous  endeavour. 
477  Achievement  is  in  the  pursuing. 


How  to  Attain  it. 


SPEED  IN  SHORTHAND 

HOW  TO  flrram  IT 


Introduction   to   the    First   Edition. 

the  countless  thousands  who  take  up  the  study  of 
Phonography — for.  in  dealing  with  the  subject  of  short  - 
hand  writing.  /  I  refer,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  Pitman's 
universal  /  system  —  a  comparatively  small  proportion 
attain  to  what  may  be  called  a  high  speed  in  writing  it.  This 
fact  is  a  lamentable  one.  for  several  reasons.  It  is  true  that.  /  for 
practical  commercial  correspondence,  a  speed  of  a  hundred  words  / 
per  minute  is  considered  sufficient,  yet  the  writer  who  can  /  but 
barely  manage  this  rate  not  only  performs  his  allotted  /  work  with 
great  effort,  but  runs  a  serious  risk  of//  producing  notes  difficult  to 
decipher,  and  thereby  bringing  discredit  upon  in  and  its 

disciples  generally. 

No  student  of  shorthand  /  should  rest  content  with  a  speed  of 
140  words  per  minute,  the  Society  of  /  Arts  first 
class  standard,  and,  presupposing  proper  early  methods  of  /  instruc- 
tion and  average  intelligence,  no  student  is  incapable  of  reaching  / 
that   pitch   of  dexterity.       The   reasons   for   the    small    number  /  of 
rapid  writers  of  Phonography  are  various.      Faulty  early  train; 
i<   responsible   for  a   large    part.       Furthermore,    there  are   many  / 
excellent  teachers  of  the  subject  who  provide  no  adequate  me;-: 
for    the    attainment    of   high    speed    after    the    system    has    /    been 
thoroughly    mastered.        Then    there    is    the    general     indifference 
and      apathy   of  many,    the    unwillingness    to   struggle   on    beyond 
the   /  supposed    business   requirements  of  a  mere    100  words   p 
minute.      To  most  students  (again  presuming  a  thorough  preliminary 
drilling  /  in  the  rule.-- 1  the  attainment  of  this  speed  is  not  /  a  severe  or 
lengthy  task  :  but  to  get  beyond  it    demands  pertinacity,  patience,  and 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,  expenditure  of  much  time,  both  in  /  writing  and  reading,  in  addition 
to  a  systematic  course  of/  training,  all   of  which  will  be  more  than 

300  compensated  l>y  '/  tile  rich  reward  that  inevitably  awaits  the 
determined  aspirant. 

Some  'years  ago,  a  London  Count}-  Court  judge  decided  that 
young  gentleman,  \\lio  uas  legally  an  "  infant,"  was  not  bound  / 
to  pay  for  lessons  he  had  received  in  shorthand  writing.'/  His 
Honour  declared  that  "  Shorthand  \\as  a  luxury,  not  a  /  necessity." 
This  decision  called  forth  a  great  deal  of  hostile  /  criticism  in  the 
press  at  the  time.  but.  ignoring  altogether  /  the  legal  aspect  of  the 
cast-,  ji  max  be  pointed  /  out  that  the  learned  judge  unconsciously 
uttered  words  of  wisdom  /  which  will  fitlv  serve  as  a  moral  for  this 

400       article.    ,      A  thorough  knowledge  of  the  theory  of  the  system  with  / 
\\hich    we    art'    dealing,    combined    with    the    ability   to   write   /   its 
graceful   characters   reliably,   at  the  rate  of/  1 50  words  per  minute 
at    least,    may  be  considered  /  to  make  the   writing  of  shorthand  a 
luxury,   rather  than  /  a  labour  :    and   the   power   to   record,    in   com- 
parative   comfort.   /   the    Hashes    of   wit    and    wisdom    of   the    most 
eloquent  /  speaker   is   a   delightful    one,    apart    altogether    from   the 
llent  /  remuneration  it  can  command. 
It    is   in  the   hope  that  /a   larger   proportion  of  those  who  take 

500  up  the  study  //  of  shorthand  may  be  induced  to  reach  a  high 
practical  .speed  that  this  booklet  '  has  been  \\ritlen.  and  it  is/ 
intended  to  point  out  some  of  the  means  by  which  /  the  goal  may 
be  reached.  The  subject  is  a  large  /  and  complicated  one,  and  no 
claim  is  made  here  for  /  a  full  and  exhaustive  treatment  of  it.  It 
is  believed,  /however,  that  the  results  of  t \ventv -five  years  of 
.•successful  /  work  as  a  shorthand  teacher  and  professional  shorthand 
writer  may  /justify  the  hope  that  the  ad\ice  tendered  will  be 
considered  '  sound  and  practical,  and  that  its  adoption  may  lead 

600        to  /•'  a    considerable   accession    to    the    present    thin    ranks   of 
shorthand  writers. 

The  hints  and  suggestions  offered  in  the  following  /  pages  have 
been  carefully  thought  out.  and  are  in  all  /  cases,  such  as  long 
experience  has  proved  to  be  practical  /and  most  prolific  of  beneficial 

646        results. 


How  to  Attain  it. 


SPEED  IN  SHORTHAND. 


Introduction  to  the  Third  Edition. 

^^^^^HE  favour  with  which  this  little  work  has  been  received/ 
Words.  •1Y=..J  '  !  during  the  ten  years  of  its  publication  has  been  gratifying  / 
to  me,  not  so  much  because  it  appealed  to  the  /  pride  of 
authorship,  or  produced  a  satisfactory  financial  return, 
but  /  because  its  success  meant  the  encouragement  to  many  to  follow  / 
up  the  study,  and  to  push  their  speed  attainment  to  /  a  point  far 
beyond  that  which  might  in  other  circumstances  /  have  been 
reached.  Many  of  the  best  teachers  in  the  /  country  have  kindly 
written  to  say  that  the  book  has  /  been  most  helpful  in  their  classes, 

100  and  some  have  been  //  good  enough  to  point  out  slips  and  imper- 
fections here  and  /  there,  with  the  object  of  making  the  work  more 
accurate  /  and  reliable.  Advantage  has  been  taken  of  the  numerous 
hints  /  and  suggestions,  and  the  present  addition  has  been  most 
carefully  /  revised  throughout,  many  useful  additions  to  the  text 
being  made  /  as  the  result  of  observation  and  experience  during  the 
past  /  decade. 

The  subject  is  of  perennial  interest  :  it  is  discussed  /  and  debated 
in  Associations  and  Conferences,  and  numberless  articles  and  / 
pamphlets  have  been  published  in  the  interest  of  the  young  / 

200  phonographer  who  is  ambitious  and  desires  to  be  classed  with  //  the 
expert.  Every  learner  who  relinquishes  the  study  before  reaching  / 
practical  proficiency  is  a  source  of  danger  and  discredit  to  /  the 
system  and  its  followers,  and  it  is  the  duty  /  of  every  teacher  to  put 
forth  all  his  effort  to  /  induce  the  students  under  his  charge,  to  work 
on  until  /  a  real  mastery  of  the  system  has  been  gained,  and  /  a  skill 
in  writing  achieved  which  shall  be  equal  to  /  the  ordinary  demands 
of  public  speaking.  To  this  end,  the  /  goal  should  be  the  first- 
class  certificate  of  the  Society  /  of  Arts,  which,  happily,  stands 

300  again  at  140  //  words  per  minute,  after  a  fitful  attempt  to  raise 
the  /  standard  of  this  examination  by  ten  words  per  minute.  In  / 
some  quarters  it  is  asserted  that  the  average  rate  of  /  public 
oratory  is  120  words  per  minute,  /  but  the  statement  is  somewhat 
misleading,  and  the  ordinary  writer  /  who  is  certificated  up 

448328 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,   to  120  only  /  would  have  endless  difficulty  in  endeavouring  to 

down  a  /  full  record  of  any  public  proceedings. 

Tin-  ranks  of  exceptionally  /  high  speed  \\riters  have  been 
greatly  augmented  during  the  pasi  /  do/en  years.  Mr.  S.  H. 
400  Godfrey,  whose  official  record  stands  //  at  220  words  per  minute 
(19/06),  has,  by  his  wonderful  achievement  in  \\inning  the  inter- 
national shorthand  championship  in  Baltimore.  U.S.  V,  givei 
tremendous  fillip  to  the  pursuit  of  high  speed,  not  oiil\  in  this 
country  but  in  the  United  States,  where,  despite  '  popular  belief, 
high  speed  in  shorthand  is  rather  the  unique  exception  than  the 
rule.  Few  students  in  America  strive  beyond  /  125  \\ords  per 
minute,  and  the  /  majority  fall  considerably  belou  that  moderate 

Let    it     once  /  more     be    emphatically    urged    upon    the    young 

1500       phonographer    that    no    "   time    spent    upon    the   attainment    of  real 
high    speed    can  /  ever    be    considered    as    \\asted.        The   shorthand 
writer  with  a  •'  maximum   speed   of  90  to  100  is  a   mere     labourer 
that  is  to  say.  he  is,  and  must  I  -iiitly  pursuing  his  avocation 

with  a  tremendous  amount  of  hard  labour,  \\ith  a  great  deal  of 
uncertainty  in  his  transcribing,  /  and  \\itli  a  liability  to  run  into 
serious  error  that  /  is  positively  ama/.ing.  The  capable,  expert 
shorthand  \\riter.  on  the  other  hand,  is  an  artist,  plying  his  pen 
\\itli  delightful  comfort,  producing  holes  that  are  never  counterfeit, 

600  but  always  exchangeable  at  their  face  value,  and  \\ielding  a  po\\  er 
which  i-  >oiirce  of  joy  and  of  satisfactory  monetary  gain 

to  the  \\riter. 

My  best  thanks  are  due.  and  are  hereby  tendered,  to  Messrs. 
I'!.  J.  CrOSSand  F.  Ileelis.  (first  and  last  Presidents  of  the  I.S.S.  I  .  . 
for  their  valuable  co-operation  in  providing  special  introductions  to 
the  second  and  third  editions.  Nothing  the^e  gentlemen  \\rite 
could  /  fail  to  be  practical  and  helpful,  and,  since  "in  the  multitude 
of  counsellors  t he-re  is  \\  isdom."  the  student  should  profit  abundantly 

700  from  the  article^  contributed  by  these  distinguised  types  of  Lanca- 
shire and  Yorkshire  genius.  If  all  my  readers  \\ill  caretullv  peruse 
these  contributions,  they  will  unanimously  second,  support,  and 
carry  /  by  acclamation  the  hearty  vote  of  thanks  1  prop,,-,, 

734        Messrs.  Cross  and  Ileelis. 

H.    I.K    1JF.AU. 
L(  >M><  IN.  /unitary,   1907. 


How  to  Attain  It. 


LAYING   THE   FOUNDATION. 

lE    \\hole    process    of   mastering    shorthand    for    practical 
Words.   fj«?/       purpo>e.- may     be  summed  up  as  follows  : — 

(I  i   To  get  the  system      thoroughly  into  the  head. 

(21   To  get  it  out  of     the  head  and  into  the  finger>. 
To  train  the     head  and  the  hand  to  work  so  perfectly  in 
unison       that  the  one  shall  he  faithfully  registering  mental  photo- 
graphx    i  if      certain  spoken   words,    while  the  other  is   as  faithfully 
transferring     similar  impressions  "taken"  just  hefore. 

'When  the  student  has  reached      the  end  of  the  theoretical  stage 
(usually  marked  by  the     pos>es>ii>n  of  Pitman's  Theory  Certificate). 

100  and  commences  to  take  down  the  utterances  of  a  reader,  the  com- 
plete novelty  of  the  proceed;  almost  an  utter  collapse. 
The  writer  commences  to  trace  slowly  the  outlines  for  the  first 
few  words  uttered./  but  the  relentle-x  voice  goes  on.  and  the  pen 
of  the  novice  begins  to  stagger,  to  scratch  and  to  stick  /  in  the 
paper,  until  the  student's  mind  gets  into  such  a  state  of  hopeless 
confusion,  that  the  funereal  30  or  /  40  words  per  minute  become 
magnified  into  an  overwhelming  Niagara-  like  cataract  of  words. 
Generally  speaking,  it  is  not  that  '  the  outlines  for  the  spoken  words 

200  are  unknown.  In  any  piece  of  dictation  hundreds  of  words  occur, 
the  form*  for  which  readily  flash  themselves  upon  the  mind  of  the 
hearer.  It  may  be  said  that  even  to  the  beginner  in  /  speed 
practice,  fully  90  per  cent,  of  the  words  uttered  /  are  familiar  as  to 
their  outlines,  and  should  therefore  be  /  set  down  decisively  and 
rapidly.  But  the  tyro  starts  by  painfully,  laboriously  drawing  each 
character,  no  matter  what  the  particular  /  word  or  phrase  may  be. 
I  have  often  stood  behind  /  beginners  at  speed,  and  fretted  and 
fidgeted  while  watching  them  /  attempting  to  draw  with  scrupulous 

300  precision  a  geometrically  perfect  outline  for  such  a  simple  thing  as 
"  it  may  be."  "  in  the  matter."  "  nevertheless."  "  I  do  not  know," 
and  so  on.  /  One  wonders  almost  why  they  have  not  brought  their 
compasses  with  them,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  the  lengths  /  are 
beyond  reproach  and  that  the  angles  do  not  vary  /  one  hairsbreadth 
from  the  path  of  rectitude  .' 

With  all  outlines  /  that  readily  suggest  themselves,  that,  as  it 
were,  instantly  photograph  /  themselves  on  the  mind  of  the  writer, 
simultaneously  with  their  /  utterance  by  reader  or  speaker,  there 
should  l>e  rapidity  of  movement,  and  the  shorthand  form  should  be 
400  thrown  from  the  7  pen  as  though  it  were  a  hair  at  the  point,  /  to 
be  got  rid  of  with  all  expedition.  More  time  '  will  thus  be  gained 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,  for  the  consideration  of  words  of/  rare  occurrence  or  of  those  which 
the  writer  lias  hitherto  /  had  no  opportunities  for  practising.  The 
real  difficulty  is  not  /  that  there  is  no  time  to  rivvVV,  hut  that  there/ 
is  no  time  to  think. 

The  importance  of  a  thorough  /  preliminary  training  in  the 
rules  cannot  \\ell  he  over-estimated.  No,  one  \\ill  ever  make  an 
expert  shorthand  writer  who  has  not.  before  attempting  speed 

500  practice,  completely  mastered  the  text  hooks.  , '/'  and  thoroughly 
committed  to  memory  the  great  majority  of  the  /  grammalngues  and 
contractions.  Ho\\  is  this  thorough  knowledge  of  the  /  system  to 
lie  acquired?  Well,  it  is  possible  to  learn  /'  the  art  of  Phonography 
without  the  aid  of  a  teacher.  /  hut  it  is  not  to  he  recommended.  In 
the  first  place,  the  task  demands  considerably  more  pertinacity, 
energy,  and  reasoning  /  power  than  is  at  the  disposal  of  the  majority. 
"iidlv.  the  time  consumed  by  the  self-taught  student  must 
inevitably  be  /  so  very  much  greater  than  would  be  the  case  under/ 

600  the  guidance  of  a  reliable  tutor  that  the  fees  expended  //'  would  be 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  saving  of  time.  /  Hut,  whether 
pursuing  the  study  alone  or  with  the  aid  /  of  a  master,  the  student 
should  doggedly  avoid  the  temptation  to  pass  on  to  a  ne\\  principle 
before  having  made  himself  master  of  the  preceding  ones.  And  it 
is  here  /  that  the  encouragement  of  the  teacher  is  so  useful.  Ii 
he  who  takes  the  responsibility  of  deciding  when  a  /  principle  has 
been  sufficiently  well  grasped  to  \\arrant  the  pupil  /  in  breaking  new 
ground.  Wheiv  no  teacher  is  employed,  it  /  is  always  well  for  the 

7OO        student  to  gauge  his  proficien.  lain  stages   bv  means  of  the 

various  certificates  granted  /  from  Hath. 

I  advise  all  students  to  commence,  continue,  and  finish  with 
the  pen.  At  the  outset  the  stroke-,  can  /  be  formed  with  greater 
precision,  the  thin  and  thick  lines  /  better  distinguished,  and  there 
is  much  less  fatigue  upon  the  /  muscles  of  the  hand.  IJcsides,  it  is 
undoubtedly  better  to  /  practise  from  the  very  commencement  with 
the  instrument  by  whose  /  means  you  will,  unquestionably,  achiese 
the  best  work  in  the  /  future. 

In    the    early    stages    of  the   study,  do    not  /  lose   sight    of    the 

800  importance  of  small  things.  Some  are  //  apt  to  regard  the  mono- 
syllabic diphthongs  as  small  things  and  /  quite  unworthy  of  serious 
attention.  This  is  a  big  mistake,  /  and  the  principle  involved  in 
this  series  of  v,,wel  signs  /  should  be  thoroughly  learned.  No  rule 
in  the  system  should/ be  skipped  because  it  appears  to  be  of  little 
value  /  or  likely  to  be  but  rarely  used.  Every  principle  laid  /  down 
is  an  important  link  in  the  great  chain  you  /  are  putting  together: 


How  to  Attain  It. 


WordSi  or,  to  change  the  metaphor,  you  cannot  ton  strongly  build  your 
foundation.  Construct  your  edifice  in  accordance  /  with  the  "plans" 
900  of  the  grand  old  architect  of  Hath,  else  will  the  first  hreeze  shake 
it  and  the  first  /  real  storm  prohahly  blow  it  to  pieces,  or.  at  the/ 
very  least,  render  it  so  unsafe  for  use  as  to  be  pronounced  dangerous 
by  even  the  most  ordinary  "surveyor." 

The  whole  of  the  graimnalogues  and  contractions  should  be 
-ecurely  locked  in  the  memory,  and  an  ea-y  and  pleasant  mode 
of/  doing  so  may  be  here  recommended,  the  plan  being,  of/  course, 
adaptable  to  any  list  of  contractions,  outlines,  or  phraseograms.  / 
Take  a  double  sheet  of  foolscap  and  fold  it  oxer  into  inch  folds, 

1000  which  will  give  about  twelve  divisions  altogether.  //  Copy  from 
the  text  book,  neatly  and  carefully,  the  >igns  you  are  about  to 
learn,  one  on  each  line.  Having  thus  filled  the  first  column,  close 
the  book  and  endeavour  from  memory,  to  transcribe  into 

longhand   into   column  /  two.      The    words   having   only  just   been 
copied,  this  should     prove  no  difficult  task,  but  any  blanks  should 
be  filled  /  in  from  the  key  and  underlined   to  denote  that  the} 
not   remembered.      This   done,   fold    under   column   one.   so  /  as   to 
leave  only  the  longhand  \\ords  of  column  t\\o    visible,  and  transcribe 

Iioo  these  into  shorthand  on  to  column  three.  so  far  as  the  memory 
will  allow.  The  gaps  can  now  be  filled  in  from  column  one, 
which,  however,  should  not  be  resorted  to  until  the  attempt  has 
been  made  /  to  work  through  the  entire  list.  Then  re-transcribe 
the  shorthand  outlines  on  column  three  into  longhand  on  column 
four,  and  /  so  on  to  the  end — shorthand  into  longhand  and  vice/ 
versa  —  and  it  may  be  guaranteed  that  by  the  time  the  twelve 
columns  have  all  been  filled  in  the  manner  indicated,  that  particular 
set  of  words  or  phrases  will  have  ;  been  most  thoroughly  mastered. 

I2OO  I  have  tried  this  plan  with  //'  the  dullest  of  pupils  :  with  those  whose 
memory  seemed  to  /  be  an  altogether  unknown  quantity,  and  I  have 
rarely  known  it  to  fail.  I  have  since  used  it  in  other  /  than 
phonographic  studies,  and  always  with  equal  suece-s. 

Bad  choice  /  of  outlines  is.  of  course,  one  of  the  chief  causes  /  of 
failure,  both  in  shorthand  writing  and  transcribing.  This  habit /can 
bestbe  got  rid  of  by  judicious  reading  practice,  about  which  I  shall  have 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,    something    to  itly.      Too,   iiuu-li   recourse  should   not   be 

had   t»  the  dictionary,  and      there  should   be  no  such   hook  at    the 

1300       elbow   of      the   writer  when  actually  engaged   in   taking  notes.      It 

il  plan  to  leave  a  margin  of  about  an     inch  on  the  left-hand 

Side  of  the  page,  and  to  '  ensure  this  being  done  it  should   be  ruled 

'••eforehand.  ,      When  reading  through  one's  note-,  the  aid  of  the 

dictionary     mav  he   usefully  invoked,  and  \\here   it   is  obvious  that  ' 

a  wrong  and  unsafe  outline  has  been  written,  the  right      (nun  should 

be  written  in  the  margin  and  repealed  perhaps      half  a  do/en  tin< 

A  \\ord   of  caution  as  to      phrasing.      Do  not  attempt  too  much 
1400      in  the  \\avof      phonographic  combination.     The  phraseograms  in 
the  advanced  text  books  should  '  have  been  studied,  and  the  "I1! 

•k  "  should    be  steadily  /  worked    at    in  conjunction  with  speed 
practice.      Tlu  :  no  two  opinion-,  a-  to  '.he  great  aid   to 

derived   from   judicious  phrasing,    but  young  writers  are   too  often/ 
ed  wiih  a  mania  for  joining  everything.      One  might  term   '  them 
the  "  Illiberal  L'nio!: 

The  main  essentials  of  a  good  phraseogram  are  clearly  laid 
down  by  Mr.  Thomas  Allen  Reed  in  his  comprehensive  and 
invaluable  book.  "The  Shorthand  Writer."  Mi  Reed  gi\v- 

1500  pithy  rule>.  from  which  I  take  the  '  liberty  of  quoting  the  first 
and  last,  as  bearing  \er\  much  on  the  point.  Referring  to  the 
phraseogram.  lie  -ay-  -"It  should  be  clear,  distinct,  legible,  and 
not  likely  to  'clash  with  single  \\ords  or  other  phrases."  The 
other  essential  is  likewise  of  vital  importance  "The  \\ords  should 
be  grammatics  -uirallv  connected,  and  such  as  \\ould  \>e 

read  \\iihout      a  pause,  and   would    not    require   to    be  divided 
any  mark  of  punctuation."      If  the  student  observes  these  two      \\ise 
and  luminous  rules  he  cannot  go  far  wrong,  and      the  reading  of  the 

1600  best  maga/iiies  in  shorthand  \\ill  clearly  show  how  closely  they 
are  adhered  to  by  expert.-. 

Great  /  diversity  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  si/.e  of  writing/ 
most  consistent  with  and  most  conducive  to  high  -peed.  I/ 
am  no  believer  in  what  is  called  "  the  neat,  small  -tyle." 
holding  it  to  be  altogether  inconsistent  with  rapidity  to  / 
lorm  the  little,  cramped  characters.  In  my  opinion,  the 


How  to  Attain  It. 


Words,  hand  should  have  the  utmost  freedom  of  movement,  the  little 
finger  /  alone  resting — somewhat  lightly — on  the  note-book.  Nol 
only  /  is  the  bold,  sweeping  style  of  shorthand  more  natural  to/ 

1700  highspeed,  but  it  is  far  more  easily  read,  which.  after  all,  is  a 
^deration  not  to  lie  lightly  esteemed.  Remember,  you  must 
not  only  \\rite  vour  high  speed,  but  read  it.  There  are  many  who 
write,  let  u>  say.  150  words  per  minute,  after  a  fashion,  but  who 
are  no  more  able  to  read  it  with  literal  accuracy  than  a  Hottentot. 
<  )f  course.  I  do  not  /  advocate  a  huge  style,  but  I  would  recommend 
a  >i/e  slightly  larger  than  the  "Phonetic  Journal"  characters. 
A  large  style  /  affords  a  better  means  of  preserving  the  necessary 
distinctions  between  full  and  half  lengths,  between  single  and 

iSoo       double  lengths,  and  //  between  different  sizes  of  hooks  and  circles. 
A  hint  may  ,  also  be  dropped  here  a>  to  the  utility  of  exaf 
the  double-length  strokes,  and  the  large  circles,  loops  and  hen 
(  "iistantly.  mistakes  are  made  through   inability  to  decide   between 
the     singular  and    the    plural.      .Make  the  double  final  circle,  for/ 
instance,   three  times  the    >i/.e  of   the   >ingle.      You   cannot      err    in 
this  direction,  and  it  is  quite  possible  to     do  so  in  the  other. 
my  recommendation    inclines    towards     absolute  freedom   of  move- 
ment, bold,  flowing  outlines,  and   unmistakable,  decisive    characters 

1900        when  they  are  intended  to  lie  larger  than  the       ordinary  single  >i/e. 

On  writing  materials  almost  all  has  been  /  written  and  spoken 
that  is  necessary.  My  advice  is.  get  a  fountain  pen  early  in  your 
phonographic  career.  Train  it  to  vour  hand  and  peculiarities  of 
style,  and  it  will  /  materially  assist  you  towards  speed  acquirement. 
Never,  if  you  can  /  help  it.  write  on  a  note-book  whose  pages  do/ 
not  open  flat  but  irritatingly  bob  up  and  down  at  /  the  tops,  and 
don't  use  a  narrow  book,  as  the  frequent  jumping  from  line  to 
line  is  annoying.  And  if  you  get  hold  of  a  fountain  pen  that  suits 
2000  you,  //  treat  it  tenderly,  almost  lovingly.  It  plays  a  tremendous 
part  /  in  the  struggle  for  speed  and  the  performance  of  practical/ 
work.  Don't  use  it  at  all  times  and  seasons  for  /  both  shorthand  and 
longhand.  Wipe  it  with  a  piece  of  /  wash-leather  both  before  and 
after  using.  Don't  dip  it  into  /  exposed  ink.  if  you  can  avoid  it. 
and  use  a  /  separate  bottle  of  the  best  obtainable  kind  specially 
for  the  /  purpose  of  filling  it.  Guard  your  treasure  jealously. 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words.    Don't    lend  /  it    to    a    friend    to    try.    especially    one    who    is  /  not 

2100       phonographic,  as  he  will  use  it   most   probably  in  //'  quite  a  different 

manner  from   your  own.       I. earn    also  to  /  hold    the  second   finger 

under  the  pen.   instead  of  beside  /  it.  and  you   will  be  surprised  at 

the  great    freedom  /  of  manipulation.        Some  fountain   pens  take  a 

great   deal    of  /  training,  just  as  the    human  agent    in   the    business 

does./  but   the  time  is  well   expended,   if  in  the  end  /  you  succeed 

in   acquiring  an   instrument   which  never  fails  to  /flow,   and   which 

SMS  in   entire  sympathy  with  your   feelings,  /  that  is  to  say,  traces 

I  lie  exact   kind   of   stroke  /  which  your  mind    is  suggesting.      Poets 

22OO       evidently  do  not    perform  //'  their  work   by   means  of  fountain  pens, 

else  would  we  /  long  ago  have  had  a  laureate  bursting  into  a  song/ 

of  praise  anent  his 

Beautiful,  flashing,  smoothly-gliding  Swan, 
22  }5  Kver  /  so  Mirely,  swiftly  moving  on  ! 


How  to  Attain  It.  13 


METHODS   OF   PRACTICE. 

Jl  1  AT  is  the  secret  of  rapid  shorthand  writing  ?  There  must  / 
Words.  ,  YY.  be.  first  of  all.  freedom  from  mental  hesitation.  The  chief  / 
contributor  to  this  happy  state  of  things  is  the  thorough  / 
study  of  the  text  books  already  referred  to.  Then  comes,  / 
of  course,  physical  dexterity.  If  one  may  be  allowed  a  /  harmless 
play  upon  words,  the  matter  could  be  well  summed  <  up  in  the  trite 
phrase.  "  '  Manual'  thoroughness  and  manual  dexterity."  The  first 
is  open  to  all  \vho  are  painstaking  and  /  intelligent.  The  second  is 
to  be  had  for  the  asking.  /  or.  in  other  words,  it  will  follow,  as  a 
IOO  necessarv  consequence,  assiduous  practice  of  the  right  kind.  A 
third  element  /  in  the  answer  to  the  question  which  commences  this 
chapter  /  is  the  ability  to  think  instantly  of  the  outlines  and  /  phrases 
in  general  use. 

Hut  for  the  novelty  of  the  /  conditions,  as  before  mentioned,  one 
who  has  obtained  a  thorough  /grasp  of  the  theory  of  Phonography 
should  be  at  once  /  able  to  write  between  50  and  60  words  per  minute./ 
But  there  is  usually  a  lack  of  confidence,  a  nervous  /'  apprehension 
that  it  is  impossible  to  take  down  any  speed.  '  and  an  entire  want  of 

200  familiarity  with  the  process  of // practical  shorthand  writing,  however 
slow.  It  is,  however,  scarcely  necessary  to  commence  speed  practice 
at  a  slower  rate  than  40  /  words  per  minute.  And  here  comes  in  the 
question  !  reader.  One  does  not  always  find  at  home  /  a 

member  of  the  family  who  is.  at  one  and  /  the  same  time,  able  and 
willing  to  afford  the  necessary  /  facilities  for  practice.  Wherever 
possible,  it  is  of  the  greatest  /  value  to  obtain  the  services  of  a  pro- 
fessional reader  or  /to  join  a  well  established  school  or  class.  In  any/ 

300  large  city  this  is  an  easy  matter.  But  if  left  /'/'  to  his  own  devices,  and 
a  relative  as  reader,  the  /  student  should  have  the  matter  all  counted 
out  before,  in  quarter  minutes,  and  the  reader  instructed  to  read  as 
closely  as  possible  to  the  divisions  so  marked.  I  will,  however,/ 
presume  that  most  of  those  who  peruse  these  hints  will  be  able  to 
obtain  professional  and  expert  assistance,  and  in  /  that  case  another 
important  question  will  have  been  automatically  settled.  /  I  refer  to 
the  selection  of  suitable  dictation  matter. 


14  High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words.  There  /  can  be  n<>  better  material    for  the  reporting  aspirant   to 

400  practice  upon  than  political  speeches,  and  it  is  a  very  //  good  plan  to 
work  steadily  through  a  volume  of  one  •'  particular  .statesman  John 
bright  or  Chamberlain  for  choice  to  give  '  confidence  and  encou: 
ment  to  the  \\  riter.  Kven  where  a  public  /  class  is  at  tended  for  practice, 
this  political  matter  would  form  /  an  admirable  supplement  as  home 
work.  I  have  instanced  Hrigh  the  language  is 

,  and   expressive,    'and   because  they  do  not  abound  in 
involved  iiiisual    expressions   like  the  utterances  of  so 

many  other  politicians.        Later  on,  when   confidence  and   facility  in 

500        tli'  he   pen   have  been  gained,  dictation    matter  of  a  in 

varied  and  difficult  kind  should  be  taken,  such  as  Macanlay's  /  Kssays. 
or  Kmcrsoifs  "  Nature  Addresses  and  Lectures,"  than  which  there  / 
(•an  be  no  better  medium  for  practice  for  the  student  ;  who  is  advanced 
-  pinelhing  like  70  or  So  words  per  minute.  With  a  home  reader 
it  would  be  well  at  first  to  read  back  each  passage  a>  s< ,,  >n  as,  taken. 
In  this  way  the  mistakes  in  transcribing  can  be  /  noted,  blanks  filled 
in.  and  outlines  which  were  consciously  wrongly  written  improved 
upon.  I  do  not  recommend  the  pi  repeating  the  matter 

600        dictated,  although  1  am  aware   that  on        this   point  I  am  at   variance 
with  some  of  t  i  ,1  fastest  writers  in  the  country.      My  reason 

for  this  objection  will  appear  in  another  part  of  this  article.  ' 
Another  suggestion  for  the  young  student  practising  speed  is  to/ 
have  the  matter  which  appears  weekly  in  the  "  Phonetic  Journal  " 

i  key  to  the  shorthand   read   to  him  at      a    moderate  pace.      This 
will   obviate  the   necessity  for  troubling     the  obliging  reader   in   the 
matter  of  checking  the  notes      taken  down.      At  his  own  convene 
the  student   can  check      the  whole  of  his  shorthand   by  means  of  the 

700       outlines  //  in  the  "  Journal." 

[  have  already  referred  to  the  margin  which  should  be  reserved 
on  the  left  hand  side  of  /the  page.  This  is  useful  for  noting  any 
passage  or  /  word  about  which  there  is  a  doubt  a  mishearing,  for/ 
instance,  or  a  blunder  wittingly  committed  bv  the  writer.  A  ;  cross 
hastily  written  in  the  margin  will  draw  special  attention  /to  the 
place,  and.  even  if  there  is  no  time  to  read  through  the  whole  of 
the  notes  taken,  these-  marked  passages  should  be  at  once  referred 
to.  and  points  of  difficulty  cleared  up. 


How  to  Attain  It, 


Words. 

800  Iinn't  attach  ton  much  importance  to  '  the  question  of  turning 

over  the  pages.  Until  you  can  write  at  about  too  words  per 
minute,  this  is  a  matter  of  no  great  concern.  It  will  he  sufficient  / 
to  cultivate  the  habit  of  inserting  the  thumb  under  the  bottom  left 
hand  corner  of  the  page  the  moment  you  begin  at  the  top  of  the 
>ame.  and  in  this  manner  to  hold  the  corner  of  the  paper  until 
the  end  of  the  last  line  is  reached,  when  a  quick  '  movement  will 
throw  the  page  over.  To  facilitate  this  practice.  /  the  whole  of  the 

900       left  hand  corners  of  a  new       book  should  be  4i  worked  up"  a  little. 

\e\er    commence    a  /  new    book    without    ''disturbing"    its    pages 

.Mimewhat.  otherwise  you  may  'find   two  or  three  sticking  together 

at  a  critical   moment.  /  and   even  this  slight  check  ma}-  cause  you  to 

the  greater  part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  a  sentence../ 

There  are  many  occasions  when  the  industrious  student  could 
practise  /  but  for  the  absence  of  any  reader.  This  need  not  /  be 
altogether  so.  for  Sir  Isaac  Pitman  cV  Sons  issue  /  a  capital  series 
of  personal  speed  practice  books — (recently  revised  /  and  consider- 

IOOO       ably  improved),  by  the  aid   of  which  much  progress       may  be  made 
•,  ards  the  goal  of  high  speed,  without  /  the  aid  of  any  other  person 
whatever.      These  little   '  •  after  the  pattern  of  shorthand 

note-books,  with  the  /  longhand  matter  printed  on  every  alternate 
line.  The  student  has  only  to  read  and  write  simultaneously,  and 
this  practice  has  /  advantages  peculiar  to  itself,  and  not  to  be  found 
in  /  the  ordinary  methods  of  speed  practice.  For  instance,  the 
appearance  /  of  a  difficult  word  will  not  cause  a  complete  breakdown, 
in  as  much  as  the  writer  can  take  his  own  time  about  the  choice 

iioo  of  an  outline.  Nor  is  there.  under  those  circumstances,  the 
troublesome  element  which  is  most  disturbing  /  to  a  beginner, 
namely,  the  sound  of  new  words  while  /  he  is  attempting  to  write 
forms  for  those  already  uttered.  /  These  little  self-help  speed 
practice  books  are  too  little  known  /  and  availed  of.  and  therefore 
I  call  particular  attention  to  valuable  aid  to  speed 

acquirement. 

The  enthusiastic  speed    aspirant  lives  in  a  sort  of  atmosphere  of 

shorthand  for  ,  weeks.      He  no  sooner  sees  a  name  over  a  shop  /  or  at 

the  corner  of  a  road  than  he  endeavours  /  to  construct  the  outlines  for 

1 200       the  same.      I  have  known  //  some  who  have  got  into  the  dreadful  habit 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,  nf ~  thinkiii .;••  'shorthand  while  talking  (or  rather  listening)  to  a  friend. 
\Vhile  the  latter  lias  been  waxing  eloquent  upon  some  subject,  he/ 
has  gradually  noticed  an  increasingly  vacant  stare  on  the  face  /  of 
the  listener,  until  he  began  to  think  his  companion  /  had  either 
taken  leave  of  his  senses,  or  that  an  /  apoplectic  fit  was  imminent. 
\citherof  these  dangers,  however.  « as  /  impending.  The  listener 
had  simply  been  mentally  taking  down  the  /  speaker,  and,  to  use 
an  expressive  vulgarism  for  the  moment.  /  this  reprehensible 

1300  practice  is  calculated  to  "take  down"  any  unsuspecting  //  friend, 
however  amiable. 

Theie  are  various  beneficial  methods  of  practice  /  to  be  pursued 
without  the  aid  of  a  reader,  which  /  I  shall  allude  to  in  the  next 
part  nf  my  •'  subject,  but  the  "interlined  speed  practice  books" 
atlord  the  best  opportunities,  and  one  can  only  wonder  that  they 
are  not  '  to  be  found  in  greater  circulation  or  in  larger  numbers.  / 
If  this  pamphlet  shall  serve  to  increase  their  sphere  of/  usefulness, 
I  shall  consider  1  have  been  able  to  render  /  a  special  service  to 
phonographic  students,  even  though,  at  the  /  same  time,  I  have 
been  unable  to  avoid  rendering  one  //  also  to  the  publishers. 


Houi  to  Attain  It.  17 


ADDITIONAL    AIDS   TO    SPEED. 

'  f\ '"1  AI  >I\(  1  practice  and  speed  practice  should  go  hand  in 
Words.  J\  ,  hand  /  from  the  moment  that  dictation  practice  is  entered 
upon.  There  /  is  nowadays  no  lack  of  interesting,  well- 
written,  and  cheap  /  phonographic  literature,  and  teachers 
should  see  to  it  that  their/  pupils  read  printed  or  lithographed  short- 
hand assiduously.  I  am  able  /  to  speak  with  the  utmost  gratitude  of 
the  vast  amount  /  of  assistance  I  obtained  from  the  magazines  and 
journals.  I  /  was  an  omnivorous  reader  of  all  the  shorthand  literature 
I  /  could  lay  hands  on  long  before  I  took  dictation  of  /  any  kind, 

100  and  almost  abandoned  everything  in  the  shape  ot  //  ordinary  type. 
The  result  was.  I  was  soon  able  to  /  read  the  outlines  in  the  short- 
hand magazines  "  the  first  time  /  of  asking"  with  as  much  fluency  as 
I  should  read  /  a  newspaper  now  in  the  common  print,  and  often 
read  /  such  periodicals,  as  soon  as  they  appeared,  to  classes  of/  note- 
takers  at'rates  as  high  as  150;'  words  per  minute.  To  this  continual 
practice,  and  to  a  /  certain  amount  of  pertinacity  in  making  out  signs 
which  at  /  times  appeared  to  be  hopeless,  I  attribute  a  good  deal  / 

200  of  the  ease  with  which  I  worked  up  speed.  When  //  at  last  I  began 
to  practise  in  earnest,  1  found  /  that  the  outlines  for  both  words  and 
phrases  sprang  to  /  my  pen  with  barely  an  effort  on  my  part.  My 
mind  was  so  imbued  with  the  characters  I  had  studied,  /  that  I  was 
really  seldom  at  a  loss  for  a  /  form,  no  matter  how  strange  the  word. 
When  a  pupil  /  comes  to  me  and  says,  "  I  have  just  commenced 
speed  /  practice,  and  I  find  it  very  difficult  and  confusing,  and  /  do 
not  seem  to  make  progress  at  all  :  what  am  /I  to  do  ?  "  My  reply 

300  is  invariably  monosyllabic — "Read!"  I // advise  him  to  procure 
one  of  the  popular  magazines  published  /  in  shorthand,  and  to  utilise 
all  the  spare  time  he  /  can  command.  There  are  many  opportunities 
which  the  enthusiastic  student  /  can  seize  for  the  purpose.  There  are 
the  journeys  up  /  to  town  and  back.  There  are  times  when  the 
right  /  hand  is  temporarily  disabled,  when  a  finger  has  been  cut,  /  or 
a  thumb  sprained  ;  then  the  loss  of  reporting  practice  /  should  be 
zealously  made  up  by  an  extra  amount  of  /  reading.  In  the  acquire- 
ment of  speed  in  shorthand,  I  attach  /  fully  as  much  importance  to 

400        the  influence  of  reading  practice  //  as  to  actual  note-taking. 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 

Words. 

ie  teachers  who  can  take  an  /  excellent  note  up  to  about  140 
words/  per  minute  adopt  the  very  laudable  practice  of  handing  a  / 
page  or  two  of  their  notes  to  their  students.  This  /  practice  is  also 
of  undoubted  value  to  the  learner,  and  /  both  teacher  and  pupil  feel 
an  equal  amount  of  satisfaction  /  when  a  page  of  actual  reporting 
notes  has  been  accurately  /  transcribed  by  a  student.  Sometimes 
even  the  teacher  may  be  /  taught  a  thing  or  two  by  the  very  mistakes 
committed  by  the  student  in  attempting  to  decipher  the  notes. 

500  Speaking  /,'  from  the  teacher's  point  of  view.  I  have  learned  many/ 
valuable  hints  from  the  transcripts  of  my  own  reporting  notes  /  made 
by  intelligent  pupils. 

As  in  the  ruse  of  most  /  other  things,  there  is  a  right  and  a 
wrong  \\ ay  '  to  read.  The  student  should  set  out  upon  a  journey/ 
through  a  phonographic  magazine  equipped  with  a  lead  pencil,  and/ 
as  >oon  as  he  happens  upon  a  form  whose  significance  /  he  cannot 
readily  grasp,  a  circle  should  be  drawn  round  /  the  obstructionist, 
and  no  further  thought  for  the  moment  paid  /  to  it.  By  reading 

600  steadily  through  the  article  in  this  //  way.  the  gist  of  the  matter  will 
become  clear,  and  /  a  material  advantage  will  be  obtained  by  the 
reader  when  /  he  turns  his  attention  once  more  to  the  encircled  items./ 
Very  often  the  cause  of  failure  to  read  an  outline  /  is  to  be  found  in 
the  absence  of  an  initial  /  vowel  which  the  word  really  possesses,  but 
which  has  not  /  been  written.  The  'mind  naturally  rushes  to  the 
first  visible  /  thing,  the  consonant,  ignoring  altogether  the  possibility 
or  a  commencing  /  vowel.  On  the  mere  suggestion  that  an  initial 

700  vowel  may  /  help  to  clear  up  the  mystery.  I  have  seen  an  //  instan- 
taneous look  of  intelligence  pass  over  the  previously  puzzled 
rnuntenance  /  of  the  pupil,  and  the  right  word  has  been  uttered  / 
triumphantly. 

It  is  a  good  plan,  too,  to  pencil  in  /  the  margin  all  words  and 
phrases  whose  outlines  appear  new  /  to  the  reader.  Many  useful 
hints  in  the  way  of  /  abbreviation  and  phrasing  are  to  be  gathered 
from  the  best  /  of  the  phonographic  magazines.  I  have  always 
deplored  the  untimely  /  demise  of  the  Phonographic  Lecturer,  written 
and  published  by  the/late  Fred  Pitman,  from  whose  pages  I  garnered 

800  many  a  /  golden  grain  of  wisdom,  many  a  bright  sheaf  of  valuable // 
abbreviations,  and  quite  a  rich  crop  of  excellent  phraseograms. 


How  to  Attain  It.  19 


Words.  Not ,  only  was  the  matter  supplied  always  entertaining  and  instructive, 
but  /  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  shorthand  forms  /  were 
the  most  accurate  and  most  fertile  of  practical  suggestion  /  that  I 
have  ever  >ecn. 

The  transcription  of  reporting  notes  /  claims  a  few  words  of 
.-erious  advice.  Let  none  be  /  misled  into  the  belief  that  it  is  just  as 
beneficial  /  to  read  over  one's  notes  as  to  write  them  out.  /  A  greater 
error  could  not  be  committed.  Later  I  shall  /  have  something  to  say 
900  about  .-musing  mistranscriptions — amusing,  that  is,  //  to  all  but  the 
perpetrators  of  them.  In  reading  through  /  your  notes  you  maybe 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  version  /  you  are  giving,  but  it  may  be, 
really  and  truly,  very  wide  of  the  mark.  You  may  justifiably  con- 
sider that  /  it  makes  sense,  but  it  may  not  be  the  sense  /  intended  by 
the  speaker.  It  is  only  when  a  transcript  /  is  made  and  has  been 
checked,  and  corrected  where  :  that  the  shorthand  student 

becomes  acquainted  with  his  own  shortcomings,  /  and  learns  also  the 
great  danger  which  accompanies  the  choice  /  of  wrong  outlines. 
1000  "Oh,  I  generally  read  everything  I  write,"  //  says  the  young  phono- 
grapher,  as  a  rule,  quite  confidently.  But.  /  if  he  perverts  the 
statement,  "her  athletic  democracy'' — referring  to  /  America- — into 
"here  they  will  take  democracy. "  ;i>  \\as  actually  /  done  within  my 
own  experience  not  long  ago,  who  is  /  to  say  him  nay?  In  all 
probability  this  writer  fully  /  believed  he  had  correctly  rendered  the 
expression.  It  requires  no  /  great  stretch  of  imagination  to  recognise 
the  possibility  of  the  /  blunder  in  this  case.  And  this  illustration 
also  serves  to  /  bring  out  another  point.  Again  our  friend,  the 
1 100  initial  vowel,  /  crops  up.  Learn  to  drop  in  this  most  useful  mark 

whenever  possible.  Had  it  been  done  in  the  case  quoted  /  above, 
"athletic  "  would  not  have  been  so  distorted,  and  the  /  rest  of  the 
sentence  would  have  been  made  clear.  I  /  recollect  a  case  in  which 
a  local  reporter  made  Lord  /  Duflerin  say  he  "  thanked  the  people  of 
Bradford  for  the  /  beautiful  dress  they  had  presented  to  his  wife." 
when  it  /  turned  out  that  it  was  an  address  that  had  formed  /  the 
mark  of  the  Bradfordians'  esteem.  Of  course,  it  is  /  not  possible 
always  to  write  out  everything  that  has  been  /  written,  but  at  least 
1 200  some  portion  of  each  day's  work  //  should  be  so  treated. 

When  these  transcripts  come  to  be/checked,  the  important  subjects 
of  spelling,  punctuation,  capitalization,  and  com  position /should  not  be 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words,  overlooked.  Many  important  mistakes  are  committed  owing  /  to  the 
absence  of  any  method  of  denoting  the  end  /  of  a  sentence.  It  is  a 
frequent  vital  error  to  commence  a  fresh  sentence  with  the  conclud- 
ing words  of  the  previous  one.  and  the  well-known  instance,  "I 
called  the  honourable  /  gentleman  a  liar,  it  is  true,  and  I  am  sorry/ 
for  it."  cannot  be  improved  upon.  In  this  case  the  /  omission  of  any 

1300  full-stop  mark  caused  the  transcriber  to  //  say,  "  I  called  the  honour- 
able gentleman  a  liar.  It  is /true,  and  I  am  sorry  for  it." 

Much  has  been  /  said  on  different  occasions  as  to  the  repetition 
of  the  matter  in  reading  practice.  I  am  not  one  of  those/  who  favour 
the  plan.  The  experiments  I  ha\e  made  and  /  seen  put  into  opera- 
tion in  this  respect  have  not  encouraged  /  me  to  pursue  the  practice. 
( )f  course,  a  given  piece  /  of  matter  becomes  increasingly  easy  to  take 
down  \\itli  each  /  repetition  :  provided  only  it  be  repeated  a  sufficient 

1400  number  ol  /  times,  there  is  no  reason  why  speed  should  not  be// 
increased  in  the  course  ol  a  \\eek  or  so  from  /  60  to  160  words  per 
minute.  Hut  /  the  increase  is  on  an  entirely  false  foundation,  and 
the  /  custom  begets  in  the  writer  a  sham  confidence  in  his  /  own 
powers,  and  more  often  than  not  he  is  liable  /  to  break  down  the 
moment  strange  matter  is  introduced.  1  /  believe  the  Americans  are, 
if  anything,  in  favour  of  the  /  plan,  but  I  have  not  yet  found  it  to 
obtain  /  in  England,  and  certainly  have  never  seen  its  introduction 
attended  /  with  successful  results.  It  may  be  urged  that  confidence 

1500  is  //  given  to  the  writer  by  means  of  repetition  work,  but  /  I 
maintain  the  direct  opposite  is  the  case,  and  assert  /that  it  shakes 
his  confidence  and  brings  about  a  poorer  /  result  with  the  first  piece 
of  fresh  matter  he  has  /  to  deal  with  after  repetition  practice,  than 
would  have  been  /  the  case  if  he  had  left  this  severely  alone. 

On  /the  other  hand,  repetition  may  be  well  and  beneficially 
indulged  /  in  when  not  following  a  speaker,  and  here  comes  in/ 
another  hint  of  a  useful  kind  in  the  category  of/  additional  aids  to 
1600  speed.  II  some  short  piece  of  prose  //  or  verse  is  thoroughly  com- 
mitted to  memory,  it  will  afford  / excellent  personal  practice  when  no 
reader  is  at  hand.  In  /the  case  of  poetry,  the  outlines  will  be  some- 
what more  /  difficult,  and  the  opportunities  for  phrasing  less  frequent, 
and  so  /  the  first  writing  of  the  passage  may  not  be  a  /  smooth 
one.  Having  thought  out  all  the  difficulties  and  surmounted  /  them, 


How  to  Attain  it. 


\Vords.  however,  there  can  be  no  harm,  but  only  good,  /  in  re-writing  the 
piece,  and  even  repeating  the  performance  several  /  times.  But 
when  following  a  speaker.  I  should  undoubtedly  prefer  /  fresh  matter 

1700  all  along,  as  any  repetition  work  under  these  //  circumstances  only 
-i.  i  \e>.  in  my  opinion,  to  retard  progress  of  /  a  real  and  lasting  kind. 

Another  favourable  means  of  practising  /  one's  outlines  when 
there  is  no  opportunity  of  writing  them  /  is  presented  when  the 
^Indent  finds  himself  one  of  a  /  congregation  or  audience,  and  has 
neither  book  nor  pen,  ur  ,  is  distant  from  the  reporters'  table,  or 
any  other  place  /  at  which  he  could  write  conveniently.  In  these 
circumstances  the  /  finger  should  act  as  substitute  for  the  writing 
instrument,  and  /  the  speaker  should  be  followed  by  endeavouring 

1800  co  trace  the  /  characters  upon  the  knee  or  book  or  even  upon  the// 
palm  of  the  other  hand.  One  thing  about  this  invisible  /  practice 
which  may  commend  it  to  young  phonographers  is  that  /  there  will 
be  no  transcript  required  of  these  "notes."  It  /  is  also  a  splendid 
exercise  of  the  mental  powers  to  /  think  the  outlines  out  as  the 
speaker  proceeds,  without  making  /  any  attempt  to  trace  them  in 
the  manner  described  above.  /  Sometimes  the  finger  practice  just 
mentioned  may  cause  the  neighbours  /  on  either  side  to  fidget,  or  to 
imagine  that  the  /  phonographic  zealot  has  become  suddenly  afflicted 
with  some  peculiar  disease,  /  akin  to  St.  Yitus's  Dance.  Then  there 

1900  is  the  visit  //  to  the  theatre  or  concert  room.  Dramatic  work  is 
among  /  the  fastest  that  can  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  /  reporter,  but  it  is 
interesting  to  endeavour  to  take  down  /  the  performers,  even  in 
snatches.  Sometimes  the  exciting  incidents  of  /  the  play  may  serve 
as  a  stimulus  to  the  phonographer,  /  and  he  may  find  himself  almost 
unconsciously  keeping  pace  with  /  the  most  rapid  utterances,  what 
time  his  bosom  throbs  with  /  indignation  at  the  persecutions  of  the 
heroine,  or  his  cheeks  /  are  wet  with  the  tears  of  laughter,  extracted 
by  the  /  excruciating  antics  of  the  principal  comedian.  But  enough 

2000  has  been  //  suggested  on  this  point  to  indicate  in  what  manner  it/ 
is  possible  to  get  useful  practice  in  thinking  out  phonographic  / 
outlines  in  apparently  adverse  circumstances. 

One  method  of  practice  which,  /  in  my  early  days — I  won't  say 
my  most  enthusiastic  /  days,  because  they  have  not  yet  departed — 
was  productive  of  /  both  benefit  and  amusement,  consisted  in  taking 
down,  quite  unknown  /  to  the  speakers,  the  conversation  of  relatives 
and  friends  at  /  home.  Sitting  down  at  the  tea  table,  and 
apparently  deeply  /  engaged  in  study,  I  was  jotting  down,  as  fast  as/ 
2100  my  powers  would  allow  me,  the  animated  remarks  of  the  //  family, 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand  : 


Words,  vocalising  all  I  wrote  most  clearly,  so  as  to  /  have  the  satisfaction 
afterwards  of  reading  over  the  notes  to  /  the  unsuspecting  causes  of 
them,  and  being  anxious  to  gain  /  their  good  opinion  of  my  progress 
in  the  art.  Informal  /  conversation  of  this  kind,  it  is  well  known, 
is  "about  /  the  fastest  work  that  a  shorthand  writer  could  possibly 
have  /  to  cope  with.  Sometimes  the  reading  back  of  these  notes  / 
causes  endless  amusement.  Sometimes  it  does  not !  Now  and 
then  /  there  are  desperate  efforts  made  to  get  hold  of  the  /  book 

2200  containing  the  mysterious  signs,  remarks  having  been  allowed  to// 
fall  which  the  speakers  are  very  anxious  to  recall.  The  /  most 
simple  and  ordinary  expressions  sound  perfectly  ludicrous  when 
jumbled  /  all  together  and  following  straight  upon  one  another 
without  any  /  real  connection  between  them.  But  in  this  manner 
the  student  /  may  gain  enormously  in  speed,  owing  to  the  variety 
of  /  speakers,  to  the  rapidity  of  the  utterances,  and  to  his  /  own 
interest  in  the  work  being  performed. 

It  is  necessary  /  here  to  caution  the  student  against  sacrificing 
neatness  to  speed.  /  My  own  theory  is  that  up  to  the  attainment 
2300  of/  a  speed  of  120  words  per  minute  //  every  effort  should  be  made 
to  write  the  notes  clearly  /  and  carefully.  After  that  stage  has  been 
passed,  however,  there  /  should  be  a  considerable  loosening  of  the 
joints  and  a  /  freer  flow  of  outlines.  ,  By  this  time,  too,  there  will  / 
be  greater  familiarity  with  shorthand  characters,  and  so,  a  corres- 
ponding /  license  in  the  writings  of  the  forms  may  be  permitted,  / 
with  even  an  increasing  t.;lse  jn  the  reading  of  the  /  same. 

In  the  early  stages  of  speed  acquirement,  various  methods  /  of 
practising  neatness  should  be  resorted  to.  The  keeping  of  /  a  diary 

2400  is  a  capital  plan,  inasmuch  as  it,  first  //  of  all,  insures  a  certain 
amount  of  slow,  carefully  written  /  work  being  done  daily,  and  also 
serves  as  a  record  /  of  phonographic  and  other  progress.  Corres- 
pondence in  phonography  with  students  /  at  about  the  same  point 
in  the  study  or  a  /  little  ahead  of  it  should  be  cultivated,  and,  if  on/ 
phonographic  topics,  a  double  advantage  will  be  derived.  If  any/ 
further  practice  is  desired,  the  leading  articles  of  the  daily  /  papers 
will  offer  the  best  opportunities,  the  language  being  so  /  varied  that 
one's  phonographic  vocabulary  cannot  help  being  enlarged,  while/ 

2500  the  general  knowledge  so  invaluable  to  a  shorthand  writer  in  //  any 
branch  of  the  profession  will  be  sure  to  prove  /  of  enduring  benefit. 
Membership  of  a  good  evercirculator  can  only  /  be  a  boon,  although 
on  this  point  I  must  confess  /  that  I  was  never  fortunate  enough  to 

2545       reap  the  advantages  /  which  these  institutions  undeniablv  afford. 


How  to  Attain  it.  23 


HINDRANCES    TO    SPEED. 

LAYING  now  dealt  with  the  various  methods  of  acquiring 
Words.     _|    | -,.,•     speed.  /  a  few  words  on  some  of  the  special  hindrances  to/ 
rapidity  in  shorthand  writing  will  not  be  out  of  place.  / 
Mental  hesitation  has  been  already  referred  to,   but  too 
much  /  insistence  cannot  be  placed  upon  this,  the  chief  obstacle  to  / 
be  surmounted.      Some  students  are  naturally  slow  thinkers :  others 
are  /  quick-witted    enough,    but    are    afflicted    with    bad    memories. 
To  both  /  of  these  classes  alike  the  same  words  of  advice  mu- 
tendered  :  strengthen  your  weak  points  in  the  rules  of  '  the  system, 
and   read   printed   shorthand   regularly  and   intelligently.       As  //  to 
the   first  point,    I    would    say :    never   write  an  /  outline   or   phrase 
simply  because  you  have  seen  it  so  /  written  somewhere  or  other  ; 
write    it    because   you    have    reasoned  /  it   out,    and    because   your 
knowledge  of  the  rule  governing  /  this  particular  instance  convinces 
you  that  there  is  no  other  /  way  of  correctly  writing  it. 

Awkward  joinings  figure  prominently  in  /  the  category  of 
hindrances.  Such  atrocities  as  "to  say,"  "  your  /  opinion."  "we 
can  tell."  "and  as  to  the  speed,"  (which  /  I  saw  not  long  ago  in  a 
phonographic  magazine  that  /  prided  itself  upon  its  accuracy,  and 
even  went  so  far  //  as  to  point  out  all  the  errors  in  its  contem- 
poraries—  /  but  is  now,  alas  !  defunct),  are  terrible  stumbling-blocks 
in  /  the  path  of  the  phonographer. 

The  attitude  of  the  writer  /  in  relation  to  his  note-book  is 
another  important  detail.  Shorthand  /  notes  can  be  taken  most 
comfortably  and  correctly  when  sitting  /  almost  erect,  but  I  have 
observed  with  real  pain  the  /  ungainly,  cramped  positions  which 
some  students  have  become  habituated  to,  /  crouching  over  their 
note-books,  and  allowing  the  chest  to  lie  /  heavily  upon  the  table, 
while  with  head  almost  resting  on  /  the  left  arm,  they  positively 
squint  along  the  lines  of  //  the  note-book.  None  can  ever  hope  to 
do  great  things  /  in  the  way  of  speed  who  adopt  this  unnatural 
posture.  /  The  weight  of  the  body  should  be  thrown  almost 
entirely  /  on  the  left  arm,  and  the  right  hand  allowed  perfect  / 
freedom  of  movement,  and  if  the  little  finger  of  the  /  writing  hand 
alone  comes  in  contact  with  the  paper  the  /  best  results  are  possible 
of  achievement. 


24  High  Speed  in  Shoithand: 


Words.  Another  hindrance  may  be     called  attention  to  in  the  manner 

of  holding  the  pen.  /     In  the  first   place,  it  should  he  held  firmly, 

400  but  /  not  tightly.  In  the  next,  it  should  not  be  grasped  /  too  close 
to  the  nib.  otherwise  there  is  bound  to  /  he  a  cramped  appearance 
in  the  notes,  and  a  serimi>  check  placed  upon  the  free  play  of  the 
right  hand.  /  There  should  be  fully  an  inch  and  a  half,  including/ 
the  nib,  above  the  first  finger;  or.  in  the  case  /  of  fountain  pen-,  it 
will  be  better  expressed  if  I  /  say  that  the  first  finger  should  be  just 
where  the  /  top  section  unscrews.  This  may  appear  to  some  but  a/ 
minor  point,  but  it  is  for  from  being  an  unimportant  /  factor  in  the 

500  matter  of  speed.  And,  lastly,  there  should  always  be  the  same 
length  of  writing  instrument.  Do  not  '\\rite  sometimes  without 
the  cap  at  the  bottom  end  and  at  others  with  it.  The  great 
difference  in  length  will  /  bring  about  a  state  of  indecision  in  the 
si/e  and  /  shape  of  the  outlines,  and.  as  already  pointed  out.  the/ 
change  from  pen  to  pencil  will  be  likely  to  have  an  equally 
detrimental  effect. 

Then  bad  choice  of  outlines  must  next  be  noted.  Speaking 
generally,  phonography  lends  itself  readily  to  a  selection  of  facile 
and  mainly  pretty  forms,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  there  are 

600  some  unavoidable  monstrosities  inseparable  //  from  the  system,  such 
as — to  give  a  few  instances-  "  1  lomifopathic."  "  dvspep.-ia." 
"expeditiously."  "galaxy."  "legacy."  •'Tottenham."  '•horse- 
flesh." ''Degeneracy."  "  oxy-hydrogen."  etc..  which  no  amount 
of  coaxing  will  enable  us  to  write  with  ease.  I!ut  these  are 
the  rare  exceptions,  and  /  any  page  of  shorthand  will  show  an 
almost  unbroken  succession  of  artistic  characters.  But  when  a. 
person  writes  such  a  /  word  as  "V^  ,  with  the  form  /O 
— which  requires  almost  /  an  artist  to  execute  with  any  approach  to 
accuracy — he  /  will  only  have  himself  to  blame  if  trouble  arises 

700       when  /  the  hour  of  transcription  comes  round.      Nor  would  I  feel// 

inclined  to  exonerate  the  perpetrator  of  , 'v  ,    or 

even  /  ^—  .  when  there  is  ready  to  his  hand  the  graceful    and 

in  no  way  incorrect  outline  /^f— ^^  .      Syllabication  is.  of  /course. 
a  good    thing   when   it   can   be   observed    without   /  a  sacrifice  of  a 


How  to  Attain  It.  25 


Words.  >erious  kind,  but  the  outline  I  /  have  suggested  is  on  all  fours 
with  J^-^.,  which  not  /  even  the  veriest  tyro  would  think  of  writing 
otherwise.  It  /  is  these  points  which  make  the  study  of  Phonography 
so  interesting,  and  which  enable  us  to  find  in  the  construction  /  of 
800  good  outlines  a  never-failing  source  of  delight,  as  well  //  as  of  profit. 
In  advocating  above  the  use  of  initial  downwards,  where  no  vowel 
precedes.  I  am  quite  aware  /  that  I  am  swerving  somewhat  from 
the  path  of  orthodoxy.  But  I  have  oh>erved  of  late  years  a 
growing  tendency  /  to  adopt  the  downward  stroke  in  such  cases  as 
"room."  "remainder,"  "remit."  and  so  on,  and  nowadays  the 
practice  is  /  almost  universal  among  expert  shorthand  writers.  I 
do  not  think  ;  the  matter  is  looked  upon  with  absolute  disfavour  in 
any  /  quarter.  And,  while  on  the  subject  of  points  of  variance  / 
900  from  the  text-books,  perhaps  I  may  be  allowed  to  /'/  put  in  a  good 
word  for  the  more  extensive  use  of  the  stroke  "  ing"  in  preference 
to  the  dot.  Many  blunders  are  committed  by  shorthand  writers 
who.  having  intended  to  /  use  the  dot  in  certain  instances,  entirely 
ignore  it  in  /  transcribing.  Moreover,  it  is  obviously  inconsistent 

to  write    ^_     [• .     and  then  in  phrasing  to  adopt 

I  advocate  the  writing  of  the  stroke  "ing."  wherever  a  fair  joining 
can  be  obtained,  just  as  cheerfully  a>  1  always  advised  the 
duplicate  sign  for  fl  in  the  words  /  "reflection."  "inflict."  an 

IOOO  improvement  which  nearly  every  practical  writer  and  /  teacher  of 
shorthand  strongly  supported  for  years  before  it  was /made  an 
integral  part  of  the  system.  Some  official  rules  /  on  the  mode  of 
writing  medially  might  also  be  very  usefully  incorporated. 
But  these  are  matters  I  must  not  /  touch  upon  further  here. 

A  minor  hindrance,  but  one  which  /should  not  be  lost  sight 
of.  is  the  habit  of  /  constantly  changing  one's  writing  materials. 
One  day  the  stump  of  /  a  pencil,  the  next  a  steel  pen,  very  fine 
and  hard,  to  be  changed  the  following  day  for  the  broaden 

Iioo  J  nibs,  next  a  fountain  pen,  followed  by  a  /,  plain  gold  dipping- 
pen,  with  an  immediate  reversion  to  pencil  again  — this  is  a 
vicious  practice  which  cannot  but  have  fatal  /  results  upon 
the  speed  aspirations  of  the  shorthand  writer.  It  /  is  not  an 


26  High  Speed  in  Shorthand: 


Words.  easy  matter  to  get  a  fountain  pen  /  which  shall  quickly  settle  down 
and  accustom  itself  to  your  /  whims  and  peculiarities.  A  lot  of 
patience  is  necessary  in  /  the  selection  of  these  articles.  I'sually  a 
fountain  pen  requires  /  to  he  coaxed,  and  pampered  and  pandered 
too  before  it  /  will  become  what  I  must  call,  for  want  of  a  /  more 
appropriate  expression,  entirely  sympathetic  and  responsive.  Hut 

1200  it  is // time  well  spent  if  at  last  success  should  crown  your  /  efforts 
ami  you  find  yourself  blest  with  the  greatest  treasure  /  that  could 
belong  to  a  phonographer — a  writing  companion  which  /  shall  never 
fail  you.  and  which  can  be  trusted  "t<>  make  its  mark"  in  the 
\\orld. 

Of  course  you  \\ill  /  use  a  notebook  which  opens  from  south 
to  north,  rather  /  than  from  east  to  west.  I  say  "of  course," 
although  /  I  know  of  several  obstinate  writers  who  persist  in 
adhering  /  to  the  more  clumsy  contrivance.  1'robaoly.  if  they  could 
get  /  a  notebook  which,  by  some  extraordinary  mechanical  arrange- 

1300  ment,  opened,  say, // from  N.K.  to  S.\Y..  they  would  infinitely 
prefer  /  that.  These  are  the  creatures  one  usually  finds  armed 
with  /  a  fragment  of  lead  pencil  almost  concealed  between  finger 
and  /  thumb,  or  who.  if  they  use  a  pen,  prefer  to  /  hold  it  between 
the  first  and  second  fingers  rather  than  /  between  the  thumb  and 
first  finger.  Xo  amount  of  reasoning  /  will  put  this  kind  of 
individual  right.  The  wonder  is  /  tliat  some  of  them  don't,  out  of 
sheer  "  cussedness ''  —  as  /  the  Yankees  express  it  —  write  thick 
strokes  for  thin,  hooks  /  for  circles,  and  half-lengths  for  double- 

1400  sized  characters,  though,  now  //that  I  come  to  think  of  it,  this  is 
just  /  what  most  of  them  end  by  doing. 

With  the  proper  /  style  of  notebook,  the  page  can  be  so 
manipulated  that,  /  when  the  upper  half  has  been  covered,  the 
thumb  and  /  forefinger  of  the  left  hand  gradually  "  work  up"  the 
lower  /half,  so  that  the  line  of  writing  remains  always  at  /  about 
the  same  level,  and  there  is  no  need  to  /  make  awkward  outlim 

14*5       the  bottom  line  or  diminish  the  /  number  of  words  per  line. 


How  to  Attain  It.  27 


CAUSES   OF   MISTRANSCRIBING, 
With  some  Instances. 

Ill",  attainment  of  a  high  speed — or  indeed  any  speed/ — 
Words.  -'\;M  will  be  altogether  useless  if  it  be  unaccompanied  by  the/ 

'•lility  to  transcribe  correctly.  Let  us  therefore  consider 
for  a  /  moment  some  of  the  causes  of  error  in  transcribing. 
Notes  /  written  under  pressure  present  many  peculiarities,  and  are 
well  calculated  /  to  trip  up  the  careless  or  thoughtless,  or  even  those/ 
who  do  not  deserve  either  epithet,  who  are.  nevertheless,  unfamiliar/ 
with  their  own  failings  when  writing  rapidly.  One  of  the  /  most 
prolific  causes  of  mistake  is  the  absence  of  an  /  initial  vowel,  which 
ought  to  have  been  inserted.  For  this  //  reason  I  have  known 
"ambition"  rendered  "men."  "addition"  turned  into/ "condition,1' 
"attack"  converted  into  "talk,"  in  such  a  sentence  as.  /  "  He  was 
the  subject  of  attack." 

In  the  phrase  "  .Mr.  Bnmn's  researches  had  been  patiently 
carried  out."  the  word  underlined  /  was  rendered  variously  by 
several  writers.  First  it  appeared  as  /  "  efficiently."  for  which  there 
is  some  ground  of  excuse.  Then  /  came  "apparently."  which,  of 
course,  was  a  gross  blunder,  led  /  up  to  by  the  fault  of  supposing 
that  the  word  /  selected  would  be  written  with  the  form  ''\^/f  • 

Still  another  writer  made  it  appear  that  Mr.  Brown's  researches 
had  been  "  fortunately  "/'/ carried  out.  Faulty  early  training  must 
have  been  responsible  for  /  the  blunder  "apparently,"  but  in  the 
other  cases  it  must  /  be  put  down  to  unfamiliarity  with  one's  own 
notes. 

A  most  amusing  instance  occurred  in  the  case  of  "Mr. 
Gladstone  /  had  refused  dissenters  their  rights."  One  slovenly 
shorthand  writer  rendered  /  this  "dozens,"  thereby  completely 
altering  the  sense,  while  another,  who  /  wrote  even  a  worse  style, 
made  it  "thousands."  It  will  hardly  be  credited  that  the  short- 
hand could  have  been  so  /  badly  written  as  to  bring  about  the 
change  from  "  dissenters "  to  "thousands."  but  it  is  an  instance 
which  occurred  within  //  my  own  knowledge.  I  have  always  taught 
the  exaggeration  of /the  double-length  strokes,  and  should  myself  write 
"dissenters"  with  considerably  /  more  than  a  double-sized  character. 


28  High  Speed  in  Shorthand : 


Words.  Provided  the  exasperation  he  not  /  carried  to  too  great  a  length 
(literally  as  well  as  /  figuratively),  this  advice  can  only  make  for 
Legibility. 

There  \\as  'another  case  ill  which  the  speaker  had  said  "The 
British  /  Constitution  consisted  of  the  Lords  Temporal,  the  Lords 
Spiritual,  and  /  the  Commons."  It  was  the  last  word  which  caused 
all  /  the  mischief.  In  the  case  I  have  in  my  mind,  /  the  writer  had 

400       in  the  shorthand  note  the  word   "  Commons  " //  properly  vocalised 

and   with   the  prefix  "com  "also   inserted.       It  /  looked  something 

like    "attendance,"   and    the    real    cause   of   trouble  /  was   that   the 

ke    vo\\el    had    l>een    written    too   close     to   the  consonant.       It 

was   consequently    translated    "The    Lords   Temporal,  /the    Lords 

Spiritual,  and  the  attendants  !  "      (  MOSS   blunder  as  this  /  is,  it  is  one 

of    those    easily    committed    by    a  /  young    student,    without    much 

knowledge  of  men  and  things,  and      a  comparison  between  the  word 

•lendants"  and   the  roughly  written  /  outline  will   show  how  easy 

it   is  for  a   novice,  /at    any  rate,  to   fall    into  such   an  extraordinary 

500       err. 

In  a  lecture  on  "London  Twenty  Years  Ago"  the  speaker/ 
had  referred  to  the  district  of  \Yesi  (ireen  which  had  /  grown  up. 
This  came  out  as  "waste  ground"  in  the  /  transcript.  Then,  in 
the  same  lecture,  "a  very  handsome  church"/  was  made  to  read 
"a  very  insignificant  church."  1 1  eve  a  /'  violation  of  rule  led  to  the 
error.  In  the  word  /  "  handsome."  the  circle  should  have  been  put 
to  the  syllable  /  to  which  it  belonged,  as  is  done  in  the  phrase  /  "  in 
some  cases."  Otherwise,  ol  course,  the  circle  would  be  /  put  to  the 

600  first  curve,  as  in  "  noisesome."  "mason."  Later  // on  the  word 
"Londoners"  was  transcribed  "land-owners."  I  recollect  also/ 
hearing  a  lecturer  on  law  giving  utterance  to  the  phrase,  /  "  The  law 
on  the  subject  is  all  right  "  and  finding  /afterwards  that  this  had  been 
transformed  into  "all  ret  I"  As,  the  hitter  was  a  somewhat  uncommon 
expression,  to  say  the  /  least,  it  should  not  have  been  taken  as  the 
correct  /  rendering  by  the  transcriber,  unless  there  was  actually  a 
vowel  /to  confirm  it.  On  another  occasion.  Mr.  ( Gladstone  was  made/ 
to  refer  to  the  " ilishoiu^t  suggestions  of  his  followers,"  instead  /of 

700       the  "advanced  suggestions."    In  the  report  of  a  company's //meeting, 


How  to  Attain  It.  29 


Words,  a  shorthand  writer  made  the  chairman  say,  ''The  company  /  has 
already  buried  .£30.000,"  when  it  should  have  /  appeared  that  they 
had  only  borrowed  that  sum. 

"(Quotations"  has  /  been  known  to  clash  with  "narrative-." 
and  this  instance  sh<>\\>  again  the  advantage  of  a  bold  style  over 
the  cramped  /  one.  If  the  hooks  that  are  intended  to  be  large  /  are 
made  rather  more  than  twice  the  size  of  the  /  ordinary  hook,  there 
would  be  little  liability  to  fall  into  /  error.  Very  often,  too,  the 
transcriber  is  in  considerable  doubt  /  as  to  whether  he  intended  a 
800  word  for  the  singular  //  or  plural.  Make  your  double  circles  fully 
three  times  the  /  size  of  the  ordinary  ones,  and  let  this  golden  rule  / 
always  apply  to  double  lengths,  final  tion  hook,  etc.  To  /  give  a 
few  instances: — ca-  pen.  passion;  placed,  plaster  ;/ ma, 

mother. 

This  safeguard  is  particularly  valuable  in  the  case  /  of  plural 
words  formed  with  the  double  circle.  But  to  /  turn  "mountainous 
scenery  "  into  "monotonous  scenery"  presumes  one  to  have  /  been 
guilty  of  bad  choice  of  outline. 

How  are  the>e  pitfalls  in  transcribing  to  be  avoided?  I  give 
the  following  /  twenty  hints,  which,  taken  together,  practically  cover 
the  subject : — 

900  (l)  There  //  should  be  thoroughness  in  the  study  of  the  rules. 

(2)   Write  /  always  with  a  pen  in  preference  to  pencil. 

Read  all     the  printed  shorthand  you  can  find,  in  order  to 

acquire  /'  familiarity  with  the  best  outlines  and  phrases. 
Vocalise  proper  names,  '  as  a  general  rule,  and  all  unfamiliar 
words. 

(5)  Remember  the  /  great  importance  of  inserting   the  initial 

vowel  wherever  time  will  /  permit. 

(6)  Strengthen  your  weak  spots  in  grammar  and  composition. 

(7)  Endeavour     to    follow    the    sense    of   the    matter   you    are 

taking  /  down. 

(S)   He  sure  of  your  grammalogues  and  contractions. 
(9)   Don't  indulge  /  in  too  much  unauthorised  abbreviation. 


High  Speed  in  Shorthand : 


Words. 

IOOO 


1200 
1208 


(10)  Cultivate  the  habit  of  writing  //  everything  in  position,  for, 

while  it  may  he  true  that  /  many  words  don't  require 
special  position,  the  practice  will  insure  /  the  placing  in 
their  right  places  of  those  words  which  /  must  he  written 
according  to  the  positional  rules  if  you  /  wish  to  render 
an  accurate  transcript. 

( 1 1)  .Make  the  reading  of  /  your  own  notes  a  special  study. 
n2)   Adopt    a    definite    method    /    of    punctuation,    especially 

indicating  the  full  stop  mark  by  the  /  small  cross 
recommended  in  the  text  books. 

( 13)  Write  all  figures,  /  from  I  to  9,  in  shorthand.      All  figures, 

two  or  /  more  in  number,  are  better  represented  as 
figures.  Kvery  single  //  figure,  if  written  as  such  with 
any  rapidity,  will  easily  /  clash  with  a  shorthand  outline. 

(14)  Exaggerate  your  large  hooks,  circles,  /  loops,  and  curves, 

and  generally  write  a  bold,  decisive  style.  / 

(15)  Cultivate    the    memory    by   repeating   the    words   after   a 

reader  /  or  speaker. 

(16)  Practise  slow  writing  for  neatness  and  exercise  of /phrases. 

(17)  Do  your  work  with  the  best  obtainable  materials. 

(18)  Resist  /  the  temptation  to  write  a  slovenly  style,  and  when 

taking  /  notes  at  much  bel'ow  your  highest  speed,  write 
as  neatly  /  as  you  can. 

(19)  Read  over  and  revise  your  notes  as  /  soon  as  possible  after 

the}-  have  been  taken. 

(20)  Mix  a//  certain  amount  of  common  sense  with  the  other 

ingredients. 


How  to  Attain  It.  31 


SUMMARY. 

?ajlSk?'XI)ERTS  differ  as  to  the  proportion  of  shorthand  students 

Words.   gjlS|-q     who  /  can  ever  reach  a  high  speed  in  writing.      I  have/ 

gp§S         no  hesitation  in  saying  that,  in  the  absence  of  any  /  special 

physical     or    mental    weakness,    all    who    conscientiously 

observe  the  /  necessary  conditions  can  attain  a  speed  of  150 /words 

per  minute,  which,  if  reliably  written  on  general  /  matter,  would  be 

good  enough  for  most  purposes.       How  far  /  above  this  could  be 

reached     must     certainly     depend      on     individual   /  ability     and 

temperament. 

Success  cannot  possibly  be  achieved  where  there  /  has  not  been 

100  an  exhaustive,  careful  and  intelligent  study  of  //  the  instruction 
books.  Nor  will  high  speed  in  shorthand  come  /  to  those  who  are 
not  prepared  to  work  hard,  face  /  difficulties,  and  go  about  their 
task  with  a  "  never-say-/die  "  sort  of  spirit  of  determination.  I 
have  seen  high  /  speed  writers  made  of  the  most  unpromising 
material  ;  where  the  /  persons  have  been  by  no  means  robust  or  of 
unusual  /  mental  alertness.  Lack  of  physical  strength  has  been 
made  up  /  for  by  a  doggedness  which  would  never  acknowledge 
defeat.  Mental  /  slowness  was  counterbalanced  by  a  spirit  of 
thoroughness  which  regarded  /  "  study  "  and  "  mastery  "  as 
equivalent  terms. 

200  Nor    can    the    goal  //  of  the    shorthand   writer's   ambition    be 

reached  without  enthusiasm.  Fortunately,  /  most  earnest  students 
find  enough  of  real  interest  in  the  /  study  of  phonography  to  make 
them  enthusiastic.  Such  as  these  /  lose  no  opportunity  for  studying 
the  system  or  practising  their  /  dexterity  in  the  writing  of  the 
outlines.  There  are,  of  /  course,  many  other  opportunities  for 
getting  speed  practice  than  those  /  which  I  have  mentioned  in  this 
pamphlet.  I  have,  for  /  instance,  not  touched  on  sermon  reporting. 
The  period  when  the  /  student  commences  to  take  down  sermons 
probably  marks  the  dividing  /  line  between  commercial  proficiency 

300  and  verbatim  reporting  ability.  The  practice  //  of  sermon  reporting 
must  be  heartily  recommended,  inasmuch  as  its  /  results  are  in  every 
way  beneficial,  and  the  facilities  afforded  /  both  frequent  and 
convenient. 

It  is  futile  to  attempt  to  /  follow  day  by  day  the  amount  of 
progress  one  has  /  made  in  speed. 


32  High  Speed  in  Shorthand:  How  to  Attain  It. 


Words.  It  is  impossible  to  sav  to-day  that  /  you  are  writing  60  words  per 
minute,  and  to-morrow  you  /  should  be  doing  65.  and  the  next  day 
70.  /  Speed  acquirement  is  imperceptible,  and  there  is  no  use  in/ 
worrying  about  it.  You  must  plod  on,  ''practise  and  persevere,"/ 
400  read  shorthand  when  you  cannot  write  it,  study  your  own  // 
phonographic  eccentricities,  and  learn  to  appreciate  what  has  been 
well  '  called  "  the  margin  of  variation  "  in  reporting  notes,  and  vou/ 
will  surely  find,  at  the  end  of  a  month  or  /  so,  that  real  progress 
lias  been  undoubtedly  made.  High  speed  /  is  well  worth  working 
hard  for.  It  is  an  inexpressible  /  delight  to  wield  the  flying  pen 
with  gi>  nd  /  certainty,  and  to  feel  that  you  could  lay 

aside  your  /  notes  for  a  long   period,  and  nevertheless  be  certain  of/ 
readily  and  rightly  turning  them  into  marketable  manuscript. 

1 ).  m't  be  /  content  with  respectable  mediocrity.      True  it  may  be, 

500       that   at    /  the   present   moment    you    may  not    be  called   upon   to  / 

perform  any  greater  feat  than  is  represented  by  the  stereotyped  /  80 

or   oo   \\ords   per   minute,    but    by  possessing  the  /  ability  to   write 

much  above  that   rate,  you  will,  as  /  a  matter  of  course,  perform  the 

simpler   duties    with    greater  /  precision    and    facility,    making    the 

accomplishment  of  your  task  a  /  pleasure  instead  of  a  labour,  besides 

fitting  yourself  to  do  /  greater  things  whenever  and  wherever  the 

-ity  should  arise. 

There  /  is    no    royal    road    to    "High    Speed    in    Shorthand." 

600       The  /  journey  must  inevitably  lie  a  long  and  tiring  one,  and // the 

path    will   be   found   to   be   frequently   slippery,    often  /  rugged   and 

steep.       Put   your   back   into   the   task,   determined  /  to  accomplish 

what  you  know  others  have  succeeded  in  doing  /  alreadv.       Don't 

try  any  "short  a  means  of /arriving  at  the  journey's  end 

the  quicker.     There  will  be  /  many  a  hill   to  climb,  and  many  an 

obstacle  to  /  surmount  ;  but  a  stout  heart  and  access  to  the  ever-/ 

flowing  fountain  (pen)  will  bring  you  close  to  victory.      Here  /  and 

there  I  have  set  up  finger-posts  to  indicate  /  the  right  road,  and  I 

700       trust  they  will   be  the  //  means  of  helping  many  a  wanderer  on  his 

709       way. 


SECRETS 

OF   SPEED    IN 

SHORTHAND. 


FFUCE     SIXPENCE. 


ISAAC   PITMAN    &   : 
31   UN-Oix  £ 
NEW  YORK. 
GLASGOW: 
PRINTED  BY  JAMES  FINDLAY,  7  MITCHELL  LANE. 

1906. 


OPINIONS  OF  GREAT  MEN  ON  SHORTHAND. 


CECIL    RHODES. 

"  If  I  had  a  son,  I  would  see  that  he  learned 
Shorthand." 


LORD  HERSCHELL. 

"  We  should  grasp  the  fact  that  shorthand  is  of 
the  greatest  utility,  not  only  in  public  offices  and 
in  commercial  life,  but  to  every  human  being." 


LORD  ROSEBERY. 

"  Our  first  economy  must  lie  in  the  direction  of 
a  much  greater  employment  of  shorthand." 


Shorthand  &  Educational  Books  &  Magazines, 

THOUSANDS  FOR  SALE  AT  ALL  RATES. 
FULL  CATALOGUE  UPON  RECEIPT  Id.  STAMP. 

Verbatim  Reporting  by  Oliver  McEwan,  1/6  post  free. 
Subscriptions  taken  for  all  Shorthand  Magazines  at  low  rates. 
Society  of  Arts  and  other  Examination  Papers  supplied  at  best  prices. 
Special  parcel  of  6/-  worth  Shorthand  Magazines,  all  different,  post 
free  1/6,  abroad  2/- 

Write,  MANAGER,  SHORTHAND  AND  EDUCATIONAL  DEPOT, 

2   Rokeby  Road,   Brockley,   LONDON,   S.E. 


SHORTHAND. 


ITS    USE    AND    VALUE. 


The  uses  to  which  shorthand  may  be  put  are  innumer- 
able. In  Government,  legal,  insurance,  and  commercial 
offices  it  is  in  constant  demand  for  official  notetaking  pur- 
poses, and  for  the  press.  Shorthand  has  become  a 
necessity.  Year  in  and  year  out  thousands  learn  short- 
hand to  better  their  position  in  life,  and  no  staff  of  an 
important  business  house  is  complete  without  a  shorthand 
writer.  Shorthand  is  taught  in  day  and  evening  schools, 
whilst  many  endeavour  to  learn  the  art  by  their  own 
unaided  efforts.  Anyone  who  has  a  practical  knowledge 
of  shorthand  possesses  an  accomplishment  always  at  hi? 
finger  ends,  and  which  may  be  used  at  a  moment's  notice. 

But  there  are  thousands  of  students  of  shorthand  who 
never  even  attain  a  modicum  of  success.  Through  no 
apparent  fault  on  their  own  part,  failure  seems  to  follow 
in  their  train,  and,  despite  their  desire  for  success,  they 
never  reach  the  summits  of  their  ambitions.  The  hints 
and  suggestions  given  in  our  special  articles  will,  it  is 
hoped,  in  a  measure  meet  the  wants  of  students  who  have 
been  unable  to  reach  the  degree  of  proficiency  in  the 
art  to  which  they  have  aspired,  and  who  are  handicapped 
from  the  want  of  suitable  tutors.  In  every  instance, 
whether  the  reader  is  a  student  or  teacher  of  shorthand, 
we  have  endeavoured  to  show  "a  direct  route''  to  the 
acquirement  of  speed. 

We  wish  to  show  you  how  you  may  succeed  in  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  your  study,  here  and  at  once;  not  when 
hopes  have  withered  and  powers  of  enjoyment  have 
faded,  and  when  knowledge  is  shorn  of  -much  of  its 
usefulness — but  now,  when  proficiency  can  be  put  to 
immediate  and  personal  advantage. 


INSTRUCTIONS  TO  SHORTHAND  STUDENTS. 


HINTS     TO     SPEED     ASPIRANTS. 


Pupils  are  advised  to  master  the  theory  of  the  subject 
as  the  best  possible  preparation  for  the  performance  of 
genuine  reporting'  work.  The  elementary  principTe* 
must  not  be  hurried  over.  When  either  brain  or  body  is 
fatigued,  it  is  expedient  not  to  study  the  art  at  all. 

"Rest  is  a  fine  medicine.  Let  your  stomachs  rest, 
ye  dyspeptics ;  let  your  brains  rest,  you  wearied, 
worried  men  of  business ;  let  your  limbs  rest,  ye 
children  of  toil." — Carlyle. 

You  -must  remember  that  you  are  to  engage  literally  in 
a  process  of  education ;  and  the  advance  must  necessarily 
be  gradual. 

Do  not  expect  too  much.  Do  not  be  cast  down  if  you 
fail.  Do  not  be  surprised  if  others  surpass  you  in 
achieving  quick  results.  Some  children  learn  to  read 
more  quickly  than  others,  do  they  not? 

There  is  one  comforting  fact  that  you  are  ever  to  bear 
in  mind.  It  is  that  you  CAN  attain  the  object  in  view 
eventually. 

There  is  no  one  of  ordinary  intelligence  who  has  not 
latent  in  him  or  her  the  ability  to  learn  shorthand.  We 
do  not  understand  the  scope  of  the  field  of  our  ambition. 

The  shorthand  student  groping  in  the  darkness  of  the 
elementary  stages  has  much  to  do  before  he  can  arrive 
at  the  full  development  of  the  art.  He  is  as  yet  a 
traveler  stumbling  upon  the  threshold,  catching  an 
occasional  glimpse  of  light,  but  not  entered  into 
possession. 

Our  object  is  to  teach  you  how  to  obtain  results,  at  the 
same  time  giving  you  a  hint  of  the  possibilities  and 
comforts  that  are  for  them  that  persevere. 

Caution  is  necessary  for  the  over-enthusiastic  or  heed- 
less student.  The  former  gets  a  text-book,  and  in  his 
desire  to  flaunt  his  new  hobby  rushes  through  the  reading 
of  the  book,  and  after  a  few  months'  study  in  this 
manner  finds  that  the  whole  theory  is  a  tangled  mass  in 
his  brain,  of  which  he  cannot  make  any  use. 

The  heedless  student  is  another  type  who  fails.  The 
subject  may  interest  him,  but  other  things  come  in  the 
w;iy  and  divert  his  attention. 


These  are  the  individuals  who  let  their  opportunities 
slip  away,  and  in  later  years  blame  their  teachers  or 
themselves  for  their  non-success. 

In  the  initial  stages  of  the  study  it  is  advisable  to  have 
a  fixed  object  in  view.  Many  a  pupil  has  entered  upon 
the  study  with  every  desire  to  become  proficient  in  the 
study,  and  failed  to  realise  this  desire.  From  being  too 
anxious  to  do  well  many  a  promising  pupil  has  become 
inattentive  to  the  lessons,  and  finding  that  he  cannot  do 
the  exercises  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  finally  in  dis- 
gust gives  up  any  idea  of  learning  the  art.  This  is  not  an 
isolated  example,  for  it  is  wrell  known  that  many  begin 
to  learn  shorthand  and  cast  it  aside  as  a  useless  acquire- 
ment. But  in  this  opinion  they  have  made  a  great 
mistake.  To  thousands  it  has  proved  an  interesting 
and  profitable  hobby — indeed,  the  master-key  to  success 
in  business  life. 

We  wish  to  impress  upon  you  that  the  only  thing  you 
have  to  learn  is  to  successfully  record  the  spoken  sound. 
Sometimes  you  will  find  your  work  easy,  and  sometimes 
it  will  be  an  effort.  Much  will  depend  on  the  power 
of  the  student  to  keep  his  mind  concentrated  on  the 
object  in  view. 

Practice  first  with  one  person  and  then  with  another 
will  make  your  mind  so  active  in  recording  the  signs 
for  the  spoken  words  that  you  will  actually  record  as 
quickly  as  you  are  dictated  to. 

Remember  that  continued  practice  is  necessary  to 
success,  and  at  each  succeeding  test  you  will  notice  a 
marked  improvement  in  your  ability  to  read  your  notes. 

Nothing  should  be  arduous  or  wearisome  in  the  quest 
for  the  acquirement  of  speed.  Your  advancing  success 
in  writing  to  private  or  public  dictation  will  prove  to 
be  an  enjo3'able  diversion,  entertaining  and  helpful  to 
yourself,  whilst  the  reward  will  be  the  ability  to  write 
at  a  high  rate  of  speed  on  all  round  matter. 

The  time  required  for  appreciable  results  largely  de- 
pends upon  the  student's  time  for  lessons  and  his  atten- 
tion to  practice. 

Some  reader  may  say  this  is  too  simple  an  explanation, 
that  he  wants  something  more  mysterious  and  complex. 
To  that  type  of  person  we  would  merely  say — "  Follow 
instructions  and  see  for  yourself."  You  can  learn  in  no 
other  way. 

He  would  be  very  unreasonable  indeed  who  would 
expect  a  radical  change  in  his  shorthand  ability  to  be 


6 

brought  about  immediately  on  practising  any  single  hint 
given  herein. 

What  pupil  has  never  had  in  his  or  her  mind  the 
desire  to  outstrip  their  fellow-students.  This  desire 
manifests  its  source  in  many  ways.  Every  expert  short- 
hand writer  can  look  back  and  recognise  at  one  time 
the  desire  to  impress  people  with  their  proficiency  and 
ability  in  the  art. 

Your  complete  success  depends  upon  the  mastery  of 
will  power.  Indifference  terminates  the  quest  for  success- 
ful training  and  results.  You  cannot  expect  to  step  into- 
the  vanguard  in  a  limited  period  of  time.  Training  is 
-;iry.  Practice  is  necessary.  You  must  begin  at 
the  beginning  and  lead  on  from  the  most  simple  outline 
to  the  most  abbreviated  stylo. 

Witness  the  performance  of  a  professional  shorthand 
v,  riter  and  those  who  witness  the  display  !  It  makes 
converts  for  speed  practice  at  once.  It  rouses  the 
greatest  enthusiasm.  It  is  the  result  of  no  special  en- 
dowment, merely  the  result  of  concentration  on  the  part 
of  that  individual.  It  is  the  patient  pupil  who  secures 

Concentration  is  an  absolute  necessity  to  the  aspirant 
to  high-speed  honours.  The  whole  force  of  the  intellect 
should  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  task  at  hand,  all  other 
considerations  being  temporarily  laid  aside.  This  habit 
of  concentration  can  be  cultivated  by  everyone,  and  it 
is  of  the  greatest  value  outside  of  shorthand  altogether. 

It  requires  a  certain  amount  of  will-power  to  resist 
at  first  the  distractions  which  are  always  presenting 
themselves,  but  if  the  interest  in  the  subject  at  hand 
is  increased,  it  will  be  found  that  this  will  prove  the 
most  effective  means  of  resistance.  As  you  interest  your- 
self on  a  subject,  so  you  concentrate  your  mind  on  it. 

The  hopeful  youth,  engaged  all  day  in  a  business 
house  and  spending  his  leisure  time  in  the  improvement 
of  his  education,  will  sometimes  enrol  for  half-a-dozen 
subjects  at  the  one  time.  He  will  attend  classes  on  two 
subjects  at  a  time  and  hope  to  be  thoroughly  successful 
at  the  examinations. 

To  the  student  who  desires  to  specialise  shorthand  and 
acquire  dexterity  in  the  art,  we  would  advise  him  to 
take  up  shorthand  alone.  Give  it  your  undivided  atten- 
tion and  give  its  practice  a  fair  trial  and  you  will  find' 
this  to  be  a  successful  method  of  reaching  a  high  degree 
of 'proficiency  in  a  comparatively  limited  time. 


What  effect  does  the  ability  to  write  shorthand  at  a 
high  rate  of  speed  give  you?  You  will  find  business  in 
that  connection  come  to  you  unsought.  It  is  bound  to 
come.  Don't  be  too  impatient.  Success  will  come. 

Working  steadily  upon  these  principles,  we  guarantee 
that  however  hard  it  may  seem  at  first  to  record 
accurately  and  with  rapidity,  you  will  become  a  first- 
class  shorthand  writer,  able  at  all  time  to  take  in  hand 
any  class  of  note-taking  work,  and  to  make  use  of  your 
accomplishment  for  your  own  convenience,  pleasure,  and 
profit. 


ESTABLISHED    1836. 


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27    JAMAICA    STREET, 

Telephone:   Nat.  6599  "  Royal."  GI— ASG^)^^« 

SUCCESSFULLY  TRAINED  STUDENTS— OVER  4,000. 

PRINCIPAL:   SYKES  WHITELEY,  F.I.S.T.,  F.I.F.S. 


PRACTICAL  instruction  is  given  in  the  annexed  subjects,  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  which  is  almost  indispensable  to  Young  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen  who  intend  following  a  Commercial  career. 


BUSINESS  HANDWRITING. 
ARITHMETIC  (Elementary  and  Advanced). 
BOOK. KEEPING  (Double  Entry). 
SHORTHAND,  THEORY,  and  REPORTING. 


TYPEWRITING  in  all  its  Details. 
PRACTICAL  MENSURATION. 
GRAMMAR  and  ENGLISH  COMPOSITION. 
LETTER  WRITING  and  SPELLING. 


Each  Student  receives  personal  attention  and    may   attend   day   or 
evening,   during  business  hours. 

Full    Prospectus,    containing    particulars    of   each    subject    taught, 
Fees  per  Quarter,  together  with  an  abridged  list  of  successful  Students, 
and  recent  Testimonials,  free  on  application. 
Address— 

WHITELEY'S  BUSINESS  COLLEGE,  27  Jamaica  Street,  Glasgow. 


8 


HIGH  SPEED  IN  SHORTHAND. 

HOW    TO    WRITE    200    WORDS    A    MINUTE! 


THE     DIRECT     ROUTE     TO     SPEED. 


An  eminent  litterateur  once  wrote  that  systems  of 
shorthand  were  not  worth  the  time  and  trouble  required 
to  master — even  in  a  general  way — the  principles  of  the 
art.  The  bald  and  unsupported  contention  might  apply 
to  the  erratic,  but,  unquestionably  brilliant,  individual 
who  penned  the  article,  the  essence  of  which  we  have 
given  in  a  single  sentence.  Let  us  come  to  the  point 
straight  away,  and  let  us  get  right  to  the  heart  and 
yearning  of  the  individual  who  has  the  desire  to  try  for 
successful  results.  In  the  first  place,  he  must  not  be 
•irerU-d  by  any  apparent  difficulties.  He  must  brush 
aside  all  notions  of  failure.  He  must,  indeed,  in  his 
inward  mind,  say  that  lie  is  going  to  succeed.  The  art  is 
within  the  attainment  of  the  individual  who  will  try. 

Sir  Isaac  Pitman,  who  possessed  the  colossal  mind 
which  invented  phonography — the  tracing  and  instan- 
taneous production  of  every  sound  in  the  English  lan- 
guage, by  what  seems  to  be  and  ultimately  becomes  an 
easily  formed  symbol — was  entertained  in  Glasgow  by  a 
private  family.  Before  partaking  of  his  meal,  Mr 
Pitman — he  was  not  knighted  at  this  stage — was  asked  to 
.say  "grace."  Mr  Pitman  did  nothing  of  the  sort,  but 
when  he  had  finished  he  reverently  said  a  few  words, 
thanking  the  Lord  for  the  repast.  This  is  the  first 
occasion  on  which  this  little  incident  relating  to  the  great 
man  has  been  written  or  published.  The  simile  is 
perhaps  far-fetched,  but  it  is  obvious.  My  advice  to  the 
student  is  to  work  away  silently  but  continuously,  and 
when  he  has  accomplished  his  end  to  return  thanks.  His 
brain-power— everybody  has  some  brain-power—must  not 
be  blurred  by  any  hairbrained,  but  doubtless  well-mean- 
ing, schemes  of  professors  in  the  art. 

The  student  must  know  what  shorthand  really  is.  It 
is  a  method  of  writing  in  which  abbreviations  or  arbitrary 
simple  characters  or  symbols  are  more  or  less  systemati- 
cally employed  in  order  to  write  words  with  greater 
rapidity  than  in  the  ordinary  method  of  writing.  The 


9 

ability  to  \vrite  shorthand  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  is  the 
aim  of  every  student  of  the  art,  and  many  varied  methods 
are  adopted  to  attain  the  object  in  view.  The  hints  and 
suggestions  herein  given  will  meet  the  requirements  of 
students  who  are  at  a  loss  to  find  suitable  means  for 
instruction,  at  the  same  time  catering  for  pupils  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  theoretical  principles  of  the  system  they 
have  adopted.  For  all  practical  purposes  a  high  rate  of 
speed  in  shorthand  writing  is  not  an  absolute  nect 
Some  of  the  most  famous  orators  of  the  present  day  do 
not  reach  a  higher  rate  of  delivery  than  130  words  per 
minute,  even  in  a  peroration. 

The  fact  that  a  person  may  gain  a  certificate  for  200 
words  per  minute  is  no  criterion  that  he  is  a  better  writer 
of  shorthand  than  the  individual  who  can  be  relied  upon 
to  write  150  words  per  minute  on  all-round  matter.  The 
latter  is  the  class  of  writer  who  may  be  termed  as 
;' expert/'  for  he  is  reliable,  a  qualification  which  is  not 
always  in  evidence  with  many  who  possess  a  200  words 
certificate.  Many  of  the  best  professional  shorthand 
writers  have  graduated  from  the  class  first  mentioned, 
and  for  practical  shorthand  work  could  put  to  shame 
some  of  the  so-called  ''  high-speed ''  men,  both  in  the 
matter  of  fast  writing  and  quick  transcription  of  their 
notes.  The  master-keys  to  high  speed  acquirement  have 
been  assiduous  practice  and  study  of  the  most  facile 
outlines. 

The  general  test  of  speed  certificates  is  on  political 
matter,  not  scientific  or  technical,  and  it  has  been  proved 
that  shorthand  can  be  written  at  such  a  rate  as  to  be 
equal  to  speech  in  rapidity  and  fluency.  It  may  be  safely 
said  that  if  the  student  makes  shorthand  a  hobby  he  is 
on  the  direct  route  for  high  speed,  for  the  knowledge 
gained  in  the  pursuance  of  a  hobby  is  of  a  far  more 
lasting  and  durable  nature  than  in  cases  where  the  study 
is  a  necessity.  There  are  thousands  of  students  who  are 
never  to  attain  a  speed  beyond  100  words  per  minute, 
and  this  state  of  matters  is  due  to  a  lack  of  enthusiasm 
and  want  of  ambition.  For  it  is  only  the  persevering, 
enthusiastic,  and  ambitious  student  who  attains  the 
pinnacle  of  success. 

Thus,  high-speed  records  are  gained  at  the  cost  of 
exclusive  devotion,  persevering  and  constant  practice, 
self-denying  will-power,  and  an  extensive  and  complete 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  the  system  adopted — all 


10 

proving  most  conclusively  that  to  be  an  expert  shorthand 
writer  you  must  be  a  genuine  student  of  the  art.  A  mere 
elementary  Unu\vl.-.lir.'  of  the  theory  will  never  afford  a 
ground  work  for  proficiency,  and  ir  is  a  foolish  idea  for 
.anyone  to  imagine  that  lie  can  work  up  to  a  high  rate  of 
!  on  such  a  basis.  From  the  outset  the  student  must 
develop  a  "  I'ritical  Conscience  "  of  his  own  work  that 
will  induce  him  to  "take  pains."  The  want  of  ne:' 
and  accuracy  in  the  primary  stages  develops  latterly  into 
careless  work. 

The  golden  rule  of  every  student  should  be  "  accuracy 
rapidity    afterwards."    and    it    is   really    this   phrase 
-ence  which  constitutes  the  difference  betu. 
and    failure.      Concentration    is    an    absolute    necessity    to 
the   aspirant   for   speed    honours,    and   the   whole   force   of 
the  intellect  must  be  brought   to  bear  on   the  task  which 
the   aspirant  has  set  himself  to  perform.     All  other  con- 
-  for  the  time  being-  must  be  laid  a.-ide. 

It  is  advisable  for  the  student  who  desires  to  spee: 

i.-ind  to  take  up  that  subject  alone,  and  in  the  long- 
run  this  has  proved  to  be  the  safest  method  of  working 
up  -peed.  With  continual  practice  the  student  reaches 
such  a  high-water  mark  of  ••xeellence  that  future  note- 
taking  work  .111  ea>y  matter. 

I'Hibtedly  the  reading  of  well  printed  shorthand 
i-  of  great  value  to  the  speed  worker.  There  is  no  strain 
upon  the  hearing  or  the  hand  a.-  in  dictation  practice, 
while  the  shorthand  characters  are  indelibly  photo- 
graphed oti  the  mental  retina,  thus  securing  incr- 
readiness  of  application,  at  the  same  time  increasing  the 
student's  vocabulary.  As  a  matter  of  fact  professional 
writers  lay  great  stress  on  the  reading  of  printed  or 
lithographed  shorthand  as  a  means  of  increasing  speed, 
and  students  will  Find  it  an  agreeable  variation  from 
the  drudgery  of  constant  practice.  For  the  purpose  of 
good  speed  work,  good  readers  are  always  wanted,  and 
if  the  student  is  dictated  to  by  one  who  can  intelligently 
observe  the  pn.>Lrre»  in  speed,  etc.,  he  may  be  said  to 
have  surmounted  half  his  difficulties.  Valuable  time  is 
wasted  by  many  dictators  who  either  go  too  fast  or  too 
slow.  The  presence  of  tlie  faults  mentioned  in  the  dic- 
tator tends  to  flurry  the  writer.  The  difference  between 
the  reading  and  the  speaking  voice — even  of  practiced 
orators — is  very  great,  and  no  one  knows  this  better  than 
the  professional  writer. 


11 

In  order  to  train  the  fingers  to  fast  writing  or  to  write 
at  a  pace  aboVe  one's  ordinary  rate,  there  is  no  more 
agreeable  form  of  practice  than  the  taking  down  to  dic- 
tation of  the  same  matter,  over  and  over  again.  This 
particularly  refers  to  matter  which  may  have  been  dic- 
tated in  the  ordinary  course  of  practice  and  which  the 
writer  has  failed  to  entirely  record.  The  confidence  thus 
gained  is  of  very  great  importance. 

Any  system  of  shorthand,  thoroughly  mastered  by  an 
educated  person,  may  become  a  perfect  instrument  for 
the  recording  of  speech  with  unerring  accuracy  and  at 
such  a  rate  of  speed  as  will  meet  every  requirement. 
The  introduction  of  classified  intersections,  with  the 
object  of  shortening  the  representation  of  certain  words 
in  general  use.  is  a  distinct  aid  to  speed,  and  meets  with 
approval.  Experts  have  tried  and  tested  such  time- 
while  many  readers  create  ingenious  con- 
tractions to  suit  their  own  particub  work.  For 
such  special  purposes,  and  for  technical  phrases,  inter- 
sections have  great  utility.  Their  value  is  most  appreci- 
ated by  those  who  fcei  most  the  need  of  them  —  pro- 
Hal  writers  in  their  daily  work.  By  these  means 
the  writer  who  uses  his  brains  and  creates  such  short  cuts 
much  better  route  to  fast  writing  than 
the  individual  who  is  always  abiding  by  the  law  of  - 
writing.  When  it  comes  to  real,  practical  work,  the 
shorthand  writer  will  find  that  he  must  employ  well-de- 
signed phrases  and  a  series  of  intersect! 

The  constituents  of  a  good  phrase  should  be  made  UK- 
subject  of  special  study.  Loose  and  disjointed  phrases 
should  be  avoided.  When  writing  at  high  speed  the 
tendency  is  to  sprawl  all  over  the  line  of  writing.  The 
writing  should  not  be  too  large,  and  the  characters 
should  be  clearly  defined. 

Experienced  writers  of  shorthand  are  aware  of  (he 
absolute  necessity  of  indicating  in  one's  writing  the 
termination  of  sentences,  and  the  importance  of  this  is 
generally  enforced  by  every  qualified  instructor.  In  the 
transcription  of  his  notes,  the  expert  writer  shows  his 
proficiency  by  correct  punctuation.  Shorthand  ex- 
aminers agree  on  this  point — the  lack  of  indication  in 
shorthand  notes  of  the  beginning  or  end  of  scntei 
the  source  of  many  blunders  on  the  part  of  candidates. 
The  important  items  of  punctuation  are  the  commas 
and  periods.  The  shorthand  writer  need  not  worry  him- 
bout  abstruse  rules  of  punctuation.  If  he  neglects 


12 

the  fundamental  rules,   \vhich  are  simple,   lie  does  so  at 
...  i  » 

his  own  risk. 

Lightness  of  touch  should  be  specialised  by  the 
a.-pirant  to  expert  reporting.  The  person  who  exerts 
undue  pressure  on  the  paper  may  make  extensive  use  of 
shorthand,  and  even  acquire  a  good  rate  of  speed ;  but, 
as  a  general  rule,  this  rate  of  speed  is  gained  at  the 
expense  of  legibility.  The  accurate  formation  of  the 
characters  at  almost  any  pace  is  secured  by  the  writer 
who  merely  touches  the  paper,  using  no  more  pressure 
than  is  requisite  for  distinction  and  definition  to  the 
letters.  To  the  shorthand  writer  of  a  system  other  than 
a  "light  line"  one,  shading  or  its  absence  indicates  an 
important  distinction.  Continual  training  gives  the- 
hand  the  habit  of  making  the  distinction  while  writing. 
Under  the  strain  of  the  stress  of  exceptional  high  speed, 
the  effects  get  somewhat  less,  but  never  entirely  dis- 
appear. This  is  the  economising  of  effort  on  the  part 
/of  the  writer — a  valuable  quip  to  the  aspiring  pro- 
nal.  The  muscles  of  the  hand  are  not  in  any  way 
strained,  and  the  liability  to  fatigue  is  lessened.  No 
shorthand  writer  can  afford  to  overlook  this  important 
factor,  and  if,  for  no  other  reason,  a  light  touch  is  worth 
cultivating,  even  though  it  take  some  little  time  to 
acquire 

The  fountain  pen  is  an  indispensable  friend  to  the 
shorthand  writer,  but  it  has  not  entirely  superseded  the 
pencil,  nor  is  it  likely  to  do  so.  The  general  adoption 
of  the  gold  nib  has  raised  the  pen  to  the  position  of  life 
companion  to  thousands  of  shorthand  writers,  and  its 
use  for  high-speed  writing  is  to  be  recommended.  There 
arc,  however,  many  stenographers  of  high  repute,  facile 
writers,  who  have  not  accustomed  themselves  to  foun- 
tain pens.  A  well-known  professional  who  has  practised 
the  ''  winged  art "  in  the  West  of  Scotland  for  many 
years  uses  very  small  stumps  of  lead  pencil,  of  which  he 
carries  a  goodly  stock  at  times,  and  he  claims  that  the 
advantages  of  using  a  "stump"  are  unsurpassed.  When 
a  good  fountain  pen  is  used,  however,  the  best  results 
are  generally  obtained,  but  care  must  be  taken  that  the 
pen  used  must  be  of  good  quality  and  flow  freely. 

The  student  should  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that,  when 
acquiring-  speed,  his  shorthand  experience  has  just  begun. 
At  this  stage  as  much  of  his  spare  time  as  possible  should 
be  devoted  to  the  perfecting  of  himself  by  practice.  He 


13 

should  take  notes  on  various  subject?,  from  dictation, 
until  he  finds  himself  competent  to  report  correctly 
speeches  or  sermons.  If  he  desires  to  enter  the  report- 
ing field  the  dictation  should  be  graded  accordingly.  If 
he  wishes  to  become  a  Court  reporter,  his  dictation 
should  embrace  legal  terms.  The  meaning  of  these 
terms  should  be  ascertained,  and,  by  a  proper, 
systematised  course  of  training,  he  should  acquire 
sufficient  knowledge  of  the  law  to  give  him  an  insight  of 
the  matter  he  may  be  called  upon  to  record. 

Finally,  let  this  fact  be  clearly  understood  by  all 
aspirants  to  high  speed  :  Without  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  theory  and  fundamental  principles  of  the  system, 
all  efforts  in  the  direction  of  high-speed  attainment  will 
prove  abortive.  To  write  shorthand  rapidly  it  is  ii> 
sary  that  there  shall  be  no  need  to  stop  to  think  of  the 
form  of  the  characters  to  be  used.  To  write  150  words 
a  minute  involves  hearing  on  an  average  750  distinct 
sounds — consonants  and  vowels — forming  in  the  mind  a 
visual  image  of  the  stenographic  characters  needed  for 
the  representation  on  paper  of  the  words  heard,  and 
managing  to  represent  or  indicate  according  to  rule  the 
whole  of  those  750  sounds,  so  that  they  can  be  read  after- 
wards ;  and  doing  all  this  in  the  course  of  a  minute  ! 
It  means  doing  the  same  thing  with  different  sets  of 
words  in  a  more  or  less  definite  number  of  successive 
minutes.  To  represent  or  indicate  twelve  and  a  half 
words  every  second  would  be  impossible  if  a  separate 
effort  of  thought  were  required  for  each  sound ;  when 
the  speed  is  200  words  per  minute  the  figures  are  cor- 
respondingly larger,  and  show  that  upwards  of  sixteen 
spoken  sounds  have  to  be  dealt  with  in  every  second  ! 
Unless  the  entire  process  of  hearing,  visualising,  and 
writing  becomes  mechanical  such  feats  would  altogether 
be  out  of  the  question. 


14 

PEN  POINTS. 


BY    PROFESSIONAL    WRITERS. 


The  basis  of  high  speed  rests  on  a  thorough  knowledge- 
of  theory. 

Study  the  various  contractions  and  recognised  phraseo- 
grams  until  they  are  indelibly  imprinted  on  your  mind. 

Earnestness,  determination,  and  concentration  should 
lie  features  of  your  character. 

Regularity  of  practice  keeps  your  mind  on  the  study. 

Remember  that  half  an  hour's  speed  practice  each 
evening  is  of  more  value  than  two  or  three  hours' 
"cramming,"  followed  by  a  period  of  inattention  and 
neglect. 

'IVst  examinations  try  your  skill  and  serve  to  keep 
your  interest  at  high  pressure. 

Never  use  a  phrase  which  you  would  not  term  as 
"facile."  Endeavour  to  make  your  characters  distinct; 
exercise  care. 

Don't  imagine  that  the  acquisition  of  speed  is  mere 
child's  play. 

When  you  are  continuously  practising  remember  that 
"continued  effort"  makes  for  success.  Try  to  under- 
stand everything  that  you  have  read  to  .you  for  dictation 
purposes.  This  will  give  you  confidence  in  yourself,  and 
the  confident  writer  is  the  best. 

Employ  your  spare  time  well.  If  your  time  permits, 
transcribe  your  notes  by  reading  over.  It  is  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  write  a  transcript  out  in  longhand ; 
make  yourself  acquainted  with  your  own  peculiarities  of 
writing,  when  dictated  to  at  a  high  rate  of  speed. 

"  Take  pains  "  with  everything  you  undertake.  Make 
no  undue  haste  to  be  expert,  if  you  would  succeed. 

Cultivate  your  mind;  the  shorthand  writer  with  a 
knowledge  of  affairs  is  always  in  demand. 

Remember  that  in  addition  to  being  able  to  write  short- 
hand, intelligence  and  education  are  also  wanted. 

Be  sure  that  you  are  able  to  write  quickly  in  longhand 
before  trying  to  write  quickly  in  shorthand. 

Make  speed  practice  a  habit.  This  will  make  every- 
thing easy  and  casts  all  difficulties  upon  a  deviation 
frcrm  a  wonted  course. 


Be  enthusiastic.  To  have  a  wholesome  ambition  and 
to  work  with  enthusiasm  for  its  fulfilment — these  form  the 
very  essence  of  a  first-class  writer. 

A  little  relaxation  is  helpful.  Don't  spend  too  long 
writing  to  dictation.  Some  shorthand  enthusiasts  never 
know  when  to  stop,  and  the  result  is  that  they  tire  of 
tlu-  study.  Vary  your  practice  by  reading  from  printed 
or  lithographed  shorthand. 

The  increase  of  speed  is  one  of  unconscious  growth. 
Make  shorthand  a  hobby ;  practise  it  until  it  becomes  a 
pleasure. 

It  is  an  admitted  fact  that  some  of  the  highest  speed 
writers  do  not  go  in  for  constant  shorthand  practice. 

An  accurate  and  rapid  writer  of  longhand  is  generally 
a  good  stenographer.  A  most  important  factor  in  the 
acquisition  of  high  speed  is  the  ability  to  write  ordinary 
words  smartly  and  well,  and  a  course  of  rapid  longhand 
practice  would  not  be  a  deterrent  in  any  degree. 

Perseverance  ultimately  overcomes  the  difficulty  found 
when  attempting  to  increase  speed. 

Like  the  second-hand  bookstall,  shorthand  is  frequently 
a  factor  in  the  success  of  men. 

The  loss  resulting  frc-m  a  slipshod  manner  of  writing 
is  incalculable.  The  greatest  economy  is  served  through 
being  thorough,  making  later  practice  so  much  easier, 
and  bringing  its  own  reward. 

Remember  that  you  have  got  to  attain  perfection  in 
the  art  yourself.  When  it  comes  to  real  practical  work 
it  is  vou  and  not  another  who  is  to  do  the  work. 


MAIR'S     NEW     METHOD 

Of  teaching  Pitman's  Shorthand  is  creating  no  inconsiderable  stir  in 
Phonographic  circles.  No  additional  outlay  is  required  for  text-books, 
as  the  Lessons  formulated  for  the  'new  method'  are  incorporated  with 
those  given  in  the  Twentieth  Century  Edition  of  the  Shorthand  Text- 
books published  by  Sir  Isaac  Pitman  &  Sons.  The  outstanding  features 
of  "Mair's  New  Method"  are: — Simultaneity  in  theory  and  speed  with 
continuous  use  of  the  best  and  briefest  word  and  phrase  forms.  An 
explanatory  booklet  will  be  forwarded  free  to  prospective  students  on 
receipt  of  a  penny  stamp. 

WILLIAM    MAIR, 

Vicc-President  Incorporated  Phonographic  Society, 

42   BIRDHURST   RISE,    SOUTH   CROYDON,    SURREY. 


16 
AN  EASY  WAY  OF  MAKING  MONEY. 

SPARE    TIME    EMPLOYMENT. 


HOW   TO   BECOME   A   CERTIFICATED   TEACHER   OF  SHORTHAND. 


There  are  Shorthand  Writers  and  Shorthand  Writers. 
That  is  to  say,  there  are  shorthand  writers  who  use  the 
Art  for  pastime  and  recreation,  and  there  are  those  who 
use  it  as  an  everyday  occupation,  etc.,  and  who  may  be 
termed  "professional"  shorthand  writers. 

Doubtless  many  readers  of  this  booklet  come  within  the 
<>ry  first-named,  and  this  article  is  intended  to  indi- 
cate how  one  may  become  a  "professional"  certificated 
teacher,  and  as  such  to  earn  a  substantial  addition  to 
his  ordinary  income. 

The  salaries  paid  to  Teachers,  certificated  as  Shorthand 
Teachers,  or  possessing  the  Fellowship  Diploma  of  the 
Incorporated  Society  of  Shorthand  Teachers  (F.Inc.S.T.), 
or  of  the  Incorporated  Phonographic  Society  (F.I.P.S.) 
vary  according  to  the  standing  of  the  appointments  which 
they  hold.  For  instance,  some  authorities  pay  as  low  a  fee 
as  2s  6d  per  hour,  while  others  pay  at  the  rate  of  10s  6d 
per  hour.  Coming  nearer  to  London  the  remuneration 
increases.  l 

SPARE     TIME     EMPLOYMENT. 

Many  young  men  who  are  employed  with  business  firms 
add  substantial  sums  to  their  incomes  by  taking  up  the 
Teaching  of  Shorthand  in  Evening  Classes  under  the  School 
Boards.  To  all  who  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Art,  here  is  a  field  in  which  they  can  employ  their  spare 
time,  energies,  and  abilities,  with  a  prospect  of  good 
reward. 

The  inquirer  may  well  say,  "But  what  chance  do  I 
possess  of  obtaining  a  post  as  a  Teacher  of  Shorthand? 
Are  not  all  such  positions  snapped  up  before  they  become 
vacant?"  The  reply  is,  they  are  not.  Good  teachers 
of  the  subject  are  scarce,  and  be  it  noted,  a  certificated 
teacher  will  always  be  accepted  before  another  and  per- 
haps more  brilliant  man  who  has  taken  no  degree. 
Assume  then  that  the  reader  is  convinced  by  these  argu- 
ments and  desires  to  become  a  diplomated  teacher 
without  delay. 


17 


FOR     THE      PRACTICAL     WRITER. 

In  the  first  place,  the  essential  quality  is  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  system  which  he  uses  and  of  the  terms 
employed  in  the  demonstration  of  the  same.  Indeed, 
so  thorough  should  his  acquaintance  with  the  system  be, 
that  at  a  moment's  notice  he  can  review  in  his  mind  the 
gradual  process  of  building  up  from  the  elementary 
stages  of  the  art  to  the  reporting  style.  Everyone  who 
aspires  to  shorthand  teaching  should  be  a  pastmaster  in 
the  art,  if  he  would  aim  at  being  successful  in  a  vocation 
which  proves  to  be  interesting  and  profitable.  The 
"art"  of  imparting  instruction  to  a  class  must  be 
acquired  through  a  careful  study  of  teaching  methods, 
and  to  acquire  this  desirable  "  art,"  intending  aspirants 
should  attend  evening  classes  and  note  the  methods 
adopted  by  experienced  and  recognised  instructors  of 
shorthand.  The  knowledge  so  gained  is  invaluable,  but 
in  a  measure  each  one  must  improve  on  the  methods 
ado-ted  by  others. 

The  ability  to  explain  the  various  rules  clearly  and 
concisely  is  more  than  half  the  work  attached  to  short- 
hand teaching,  whilst  a  little  variation  from  the  ordinary 
routine,  such,  for  instance,  as  relating  experiences  of 
shorthand  writing,  will  serve  to  increase  the  interest 
of  the  pupils  in  the  subject. 

TEACHING     CERTIFICATES. 

The  possession  of  a  Teaching  Certificate  Diploma  is 
now  almost  a  necessity  to  everyone  who  desires  an 
appointment  under  Educational  Authorities,  and  though 
in  some  cases  this  is  not  always  an  essential  it  should 
prove  of  considerable  value  in  increasing  the  prospects 
of  an  immediate  appointment  should  a  suitable  vacancy 
occur.  Pitman's  Shorthand  Teacher's  Certificate  is 
awarded  to  phonographers  who  are  successful  in  passing 
an  examination  arranged  by  Sir  Isaac  Pitman  and  Son, 
Limited,  and  conducted  by  an  annroved  committee  or 
at  the  Phonetic  Institute,  Bath.  The  examination  occu- 
pies two  and  a-half  hours,  and  the  tests  include  ques- 
tions on  the  theory  of  the  system,  correction  of  incorrect 
outlines,  a  written  exposition  of  a  given  principle  of 
phonography,  in  the  form  of  an  oral  lesson  as  to  a  class 
or  private  pupils,  and  a  speed  test  at  eighty  words  per 
minute.  The  fee  is  5s. 


18 

Examinations  for  Teachers'  Certificates  are  also  con- 
dtu-tod  by  the  Incorporated  Society  of  Shorthand 
Teachers  and  the  Incorporated  Phonographic  Society, 
and  these  are  admitted  to  be  a  more  severe  test  of  the 
intending  teacher's  shorthand  proficiency.  Anyone  who 
passes  either  of  those  societies'  entrance  examination 
can  secure  Messrs  Pitman's  Registration  Certificate 
without  further  examination. 

THK   INCORPORATED  SOCIETY  OF  SHORTHAND 
TEACHERS. 


OBJECTS     OF     THE     SOCIETY. 

The  principal  objects  for  which  the  Society  is  estab- 
lished  (embodied   in  the  Memorandum  of  Association) 


-talilish  District  or  Branch  Societies,  and  to  provide 
opportunities  for  intercourse  among  the  members:  to  give 
facilities  for  the  readinir  of  papers,  and  the  delivery  of 
lectures  an. I  gj  to  dirvcminate  information  con- 

cerning text-hook*,  examinations,  and  methods  of  work,  and 
to  promote  improved  methods  of  teaching. 
To    supply    educational    authorities    with    annual    or 
other    lists    of   the   members    with   a   view   of   assisting 
such  authorities  in  their  selection  of  teachers. 

The  membership  of  the  Society  is  divided  into  two  grades  : 
— (1)  Fellowship  members,  either  ladies  or  gentlemen  (here- 
inafter referred  to  as  Fellows),  who'  are  fully  qualified  pro- 
;tl    teachers    of    shorthand.       (2>    Associate    members 
qnalii;.  I   I  clow  : — The  qualification*  for  a   Fellow 

are  (ai  That  he  or  she  is  a  person  of  not  less  than  twenty- 
one  years  of  a  ire.  (l>)  That  he  or  she  has  been  profes- 
sionally emraired  in  teaching  shorthand  for  at  least  three 
years  prior  to  his  application  for  membership,  (o  That  he 
or  she  h.-:.s  -.atist'icil  the  Kxecntive  as  to  the  thoroughness 
of  his  or  her  phonographic  know!.  -~ful  teaching 

experience,  and  general  education.  The  qualifications  for 
an  Associate  are  la)  That  he  or  sh<-  is  a  person  of  not  less 
than  eighteen  years  of  a  ire.  tin  That  he  or  she  has  - 
the  Kxeciitive  as  to  the  thoroughness  of  his  or  her  phono- 
graphic and  general  knowledge,  though  he  or  she  may  not 
have  completed  three  years'  teaching  experience.  The  Kxe- 
cutive  may  also  admit  any  person  to  be  an  Associate  of  the, 
,  on  heimr  satisfied  that  he  i  h  other  quali- 

fication, either  in  addition  or  in  sulist  itution  for  any  of  the 
fort-going,  as  the    Kxecutive  shall   from  time  to  tim. 
mine.      On   an    Associate   attaininsr   the   age   of  twenty-one, 
and  satisfying  the   Kxecutive  that   he  has  had  three  years' 
aing  experience,  he  shall  be  admitted  as  a   1'ellow. 


19 
INCORPORATED      PHONOGRAPHIC      SOCIETY. 


OBJECTS   OF   THE   SOCIETY. 

The  principal  objects  for  which  the  Society  is  estab- 
lished,  embodied   in  the   Memorandum  of   Association, 


(1)  The  propagation  anc!  practice  of  Pitman's  system  of 
shorthand  (otherwise  known  as  1'lioiiouraphy,  or  Pitman's 
Phonography*  and  the  promotion  of  the  interest  of  its  prac- 
titioners and  teachers.  <.2>  The  raising  of  the  qualifica- 
tions, tin-  status,  and  the  remuneration  of  phonographic 
practitioners  and  teachers.  (3i  Tlie  examination  of  teachers, 
students,  practitioners,  and  other>,  the  Lrrantiiiir  of  certifi- 
cates of  competency  for  lieing  in.-tnictors,  and  keping  a 
lent  instructors.  Fellows: — Candidates  for.1 
Fellowship  must  satisfy  the  Council  that  they  po- 
or more  of  the  following  qualifications,  vi/..  that  they  are: 
— (1)  ProfesMoiial  shorthand  writers  (i.e..  persons  wiio  are 
and  have  been  for  at  least  five  years  maini. 
shorthand  writing  on  their  own  account).  (2)  Holders  of 
lertificates  approved  liy  the  Council  for  a  speed  of  not  le-s 
)han  140  words  per  minute,  or  such  other  rate  as  the 
Founcil  may  from  time  to  time  determine:  or  (3)  Holders 
of  tlie  Certificate  granted  liy  the  Society,  who 

are   not    less   than   twenty-one  years  of   age   and  who   have 
had  not   less  than  three  years'  teaching  expcr 

If  the  candidate  is  successful  he  will  be  entitled  for 
the  rest  of  his  life  to  add  to  his  name  the  magic  letters — 
F.Inc.S.T.,  or  F.I.P.S.  when  he  has  completed  three 
years'  successful  teaching  experience.  In  the  I.P.S.  there 
is  an  "honours"  section,  a  distinction  which  a  number 
of  ambitious  teachers  strive  to  secure. 

Having  now  seen  our  reader  attain  to  the  exalted  and 
well  deserved  rank  of  F.Inc.S.T.  or  F.I.P.S.,  we  will  leave 
him  to  enjoy  the  monetary  fruits  of  his  labour,  and 
which,  as  before  indicated,  are  by  no  means  to  be 
despised.  

We  have  pleasure  in  reproducing  here  the  Impressions 
of  Mr  Thomas  Reid,  who  has  for  the  long  period  of  forty 
years  occupied  the  position  of  Chief  Reporter  of  the 
"Glasgow  Herald."  In  a  recent  article  in  "Pitman's 
Phonetic  Journal"  the  writer  says: — - 

"  Mr  Reid  writes  a  combination  of  the  Taylor-Odell 
systems.  He  is  a  self-taught  writer  of  stenography,  and 
has  never  had  instruction  from  a  teacher.  By  constant 
practical  work  he  has  trained  himself  to  a  high  rate  of 


20 

speed.  When  it  is  remembered  that  he  has  reported  the 
important  meetings  held  in  Britain  for  well-nigh 
half  a  century,  his  shorthand  ability  may  be  said  to  have 
been  tested  to  a  very  wide  extent.  His  practice  of  and 
-  in  stenography  is  unique,  and  is  largely  due  to 
tenacity  of  purpose  and  concentration  of  mind,  features 
which  might  well  be  cultivated  by  every  student  of  short- 
hand. Mr  Reid  has  come  into  contact  with  many  accom- 
plished writers  of  Pitman's  shorthand,  and  has  the  best 
of  the  re.-ults  they  obtained.  The  geometric  sym- 
i.ietry  of  the  Pitman  system  appeals  to  his  artistic  sense, 
;  ml  he  considers  it  the  most  perfect  system  of  sound 
writing  ever  produced.  His  past  and  present  staff  of 
iand  writers  have  given  every  satisfaction  in  the 
matter  of  accuracy  of  note  reproduction  and  general 
reliability.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  system  of  short- 
hand which  he  writes,  and  while  free  to  admit  that 
irraphy  is  not  a  perfect  system,  it  is  his  firm  convic- 
tioji  that  in  the  reading  of  all  shorthand  brains  are 
•tial.  Mr  James  Macfarlane,  a  former  colleague  of 
i\Ir  Reid  on  the  "Herald,"  was  as  accomplished  a  writer 
of  phonography  as  could  be  mentioned.  Both  got  the 
same  results.  The  only  difference  was  this — Mr  Macfar- 
lane read  his  notes  easily,  while  Mr  Reid  was  able  to 
read  his  own  notes  as  quickly  as  reading  from  printed 
matter.  This  is  Mr  Reid's  verdict  on  shorthand  systems, 
judged  from  an  impartial  standpoint.  On  one  occasion 
he  had  a  chat  with  a  friend  who  knew  both  systems 
thoroughly,  and  the  conversation  turned  on  a  discussion 
of  their  results.  Mr  Reid  showed  that  he  was  not  biased 
in  any  way  when  he  said,  '  You  can  get  any  result  from 
either.  If  you  write  phonography  you  would  get  your 
re-iilts  more  easily.'  As  a  shorthand  writer  and  reporter 
Mr  Reid  has  few  equals.  Yet  in  that  important  depart- 
ment of  newspaper  work  expert  shorthand  ability  is  only 
one  of  his  many  accomplishments." 


•21 
THE  ACQUIREMENT   OF  SPEED   IN  SHORTHAND. 


BY    MR    THOMAS    REID,    F.J.I. 

Late  Chief  Reporter,  "Glasgotu  Herald." 


NO    ROYAL    ROAD    TO    SPEED. 

No  one  can  become  a  proficient  shorthand  writer 
unless  he  obeys  the  injunction  to  write,  and  go  on  writ- 
ing. There  is  no  royal  road  to  swiftness  except  the  hard 
one  bearing  the  name  of  "Macadam."'  Good  intentions 
have  no  efficacy. 

LOXGHAXD       AND       SHORTHAND. 

A  preliminary  question  may  be  asked,  how  does  the 
speed  aspirant  write  longhand?  If  he  has  a  clean,  easy 
swift  method  he  will  repeat  this  in  shorthand  writing, 
and  his  progress  will  be  proportionally  greater  than  that 
of  the  man  who  fails  to  "make  the  crooked  straight  and 
the  rough  places  plain."  I  knew  writers  of  the  latter 
class  who  had  nevertheless  by  degrees  become  expert  in 
the  art  and  read  their  notes  with  facility. 

THE  VALUE  OF  A  GOOD  MEMORY. 

In  another  case  memory  and  exceptional  intelligence 
made  up  for  the  deficiency.  I  knew  one  shorthand 
writer,  long  gone  to  his  rest,  who  could  take  the  most 
rapid  speaker  with  perfect  accuracy.  He  wrote  steno- 
graphy like  myself.  We  were  often  associated  together, 
and  I  noticed,  when  we  were  working  alongside  each 
other,  that  sometimes  he  could  not  quite  keep  pace  with 
the  speaker.  He  left  occasionally,  indeed  fre- 
quently, blanks  in  his  notebook,  keeping  his  fingers  in 
the  pages  where  the  blanks  occurred.  When  the  audience 
became  exceptionally  generous  in  applause  he  turned 
back  and  filled  in  the  spaces  in  the  pages  which  he  had 
omitted.  I  had  no  occasion,  as  it  happens,  to  revert  to 
those  devious  means,  nor  do  I  think  I  could  have  done  it, 
but  he  was  able  to  do  so.  It  was  quite 

A  MARVELLOUS  FEAT  OF  MEMORY, 

under   very   difficult   conditions,     and    I   was   often   filled 
with   admiration   as   I   observed    how   quickly    and    accu- 


22 

rately  ho  accomplished  it.  Of  course,  there  are  few  re- 
porters who  could  do  this,  and  it  showed  exceptional 
nerve,  memory,  and  bright  intelligence. 

THE  PROFESSIONAL  WRITER. 

Another  accomplishment  at  which  the  professional 
shorthand  writer  must  aim  is  that  of  exercising  his  mind 
at  thf  same  time  in  two  directions.  If  we  assume  that 
lie  is  writing,  without  assistance,  an  important  debate — 
<>f  which  a  full  summary,  not  a  verbatim  report,  is 
;\  anted  —  he  must  be  able  to  drop  writing  when  the 
-peaker  begins  to  drift  into  unimportant  detail,  and  pro- 
id  write  his  summary  in  longhand,  listening  all  the 
while  to  what  the  speaker  is  saying,  and  resuming  note- 
Taking  when  the  main  argument  is  continued.  This,  of 
rourse.  follows  from  experience,  although  a  born  re- 
porter is  not  long  in  requiring  such  a  faculty.  Nowa- 
.  when  work  must  be  "done  while  you  wait,"  this 
'iip!i.~hment  is  seldom  necessary.  In  the  old  days, 
when  one  man  had  to  make  a  four  or  five  column  sum- 
mary of,  say,  '•  o.  long  day's  debate  on  the  Union  of  the 
Churches."  going  back  to  the  Free  and  U.P.  negotiations 
— which  ended  in  smoke — it  was  imperative  that  he 
.-hould  be  able  to  do  so. 

THE  USE  OF  CONTRACTIONS. 

I  understand  that  in  the  Pitman  System  there  is  cm- 
bodied  a  number  of  contractions  founded  upon  natural 
;nd  for  examples  the  student  need  not  go 
beyond  his  text-book.  In  stenography  there  is  no  such 
thing.  You  only  get  the  book  with  the  grammar,  and 
all  the  rest  you  have  to  make  up  for  yourself. 

When  I  was  learning  stenography,  over  fifty  years  ago, 
I  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  a  list  of  contractions  of  a 
purely  arbitrary  nature,  in  the  writing  of  which  I  never 
made  a  mistake.  Beyond  this  I  manufactured  a  great 
many  of  my  own,  and  these  were  of  great  assistance  to 
me  in  shorthand  writing  work  of  every  description. 

FAMOTS    ORATORS. 

Dr  Norman  Macleod,  of  the  Barony  Parish,  was  one  of 
ilie  fastest  speakers  I  have  ever  dealt  with,  and  when  it 
WM  necessary  I  reported  him  verbatim.  A  chairman  of 
a  railway  company— I  do  not  recollect  his  name  at  the 


2.3 

present — was  a  very  difficult  man  to  report.  He  was  very 
nervous,  and  spoke  at  a  terrific  rate.  Chamberlain  is  a 
very  easy  speaker.  Robert  Lowe,  who  afterwards 

BECAME     LORD     SHERBROOKE, 

was  an  exceptionally  fast  speaker.  We  once  had  him  in 
Edinburgh  on  a  technical  subject.  It  was  a  very  long 
:.  and  tt-.-ted  the  writing  qualities  of  the  very  best 
men  engaged  on  the  work.  John  Bright  was  the  most 
perfect  speaker  of  the  last  century.  Going  back  thirty 
years,  you  might  report  John  Bright  for  an  hour,  and 
you  could  not  alter  a  word  in  the  speech  without  impair- 
ing the  pure  English.  Latterly,  when  1.  gave 
way.  he  was  not  quite  so  accurate.  He  used  to  address 
his  constituents  in  Birmingham,  always  on  the  Saturday, 
his  annual  meeting.  For  a  good  many  years  I  went 
through  and  reported  him  for  the  ''  Herald  "  alone.  At 
one  of  his  last  meetings,  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  which 
was  crowded,  he  could  not  look  at  the  audience.  He  took 
some  papers  out  of  his  coat  pockets,  and  anyone  could 
observe  that  his  hands  were  shaking.  This  was  simply 
done  to  make  his  nerves  calm  down  before  he  could  look 
at  the  audience.  A  similar  experience  took  place  at  a 
great  meeting  held  outside  of  Leeds,  where  the  speaker 
had  the  same  difficulty. 

Although  Mr  Gladstone  was  a  marvellous  orator,  he 
was  not  by  any  means  so  accurate  a  speaker  as  John 
Bright.  Gladstone  swayed  the  multitude,  but  if  a 
reporter  understood  his  business  thoroughly  he  would  not 
report  Glad.-tone  ''  verbatim."  Gladstone  set  up  hurdles 
all  over  his  speeches,  and  if  you  wished  to  make  his 
lies  read  smoothly  you  would  have  to  remove  these 
hurdles  and  turn  one  long  sentence  into  three.  He  was 

A    DRAMATIC    SPEAKER, 

and  led  up  to  his  points  as  an  actor  would  do. 

Rosebery  is  a  graceful  speaker,  full  of  the  most  de- 
lightful humour,  whatever  one  thinks  of  his  political 
opin  i 

In  conclusion.  I  would  remind  every  student  of  short- 
hand that  the  best  method  of  acquiring  speed  and 
accuracy  in  shorthand  writing  is  to  write,  write,  write. 

THOMAS     REID. 


24 


FACSIMILE    SHORTHAND    NOTES. 


>IM 


BY    MR    THOMAS    REID,    F.J.I., 

Late  Chief  Reporter,  "Glasgow  Herald." 


« 


TRANSCRIPT.—"  We  must  remember,  too,  that  there 
is  more  than  this  to  be  said.   Many  of  Burns's  sou; 
already  in  rxistrnre  in  the  lips  and  minds  of  the  people 
—rough  and  coarse  and   obscene.    Our   bein 
them,  and  with  at  ired  ali'hrniy  Iran 

them  and  leaves  them  pure  gold.  He  loved  the  old 
rat '-lies  and  the  old  tunes,  and  into  these  gracious 
moulds  he  poured  his  exquisite  gifts  of  thought  and 
ion.  But  for  him  those  ancient  airs,  often 
wi-dded  to  words  which  no  decent  man  could  reciti.-, 
would  liavr  [ii'i'Mied  from  that  corruption  if  not  from 
neglect.  Ho  rescued  them  for  us  by  his  son^s,  and  in 
doing  so  he  hallowed  the  life  and  sweetened  the  breath 
of  Scotland." 


HOW  TO  APPLY  FOR  A  SITUATION. 


BY    AN    EMPLOYER    OF   LABOUR. 


As  a  business  man  of  many  years'  experience,  employ- 
ing over  a  hundred  people  in  various  capacities,  I  have 
noted,  in  advertising  for  clerks,  that,  out  of  hundreds 
of  letters  received  in  reply,  only  a  very  few,  say  two 
per  cent.,  have  been  written  in  such  a  way  as  to  attract 
attention  and  secure  an  interview.  A  very  large  per- 
centage of  these  applicants  was,  no  doubt,  thoroughly 
capable  of  the  position  named,  but  they  didn't  know 
how  to  go  after  it.  They  had  never  been  trained  to 
write  a  good  business  letter,  and  their  efforts  went  into 
the  wastebasket ;  some  less  worthy  person,  who  knew 
how  to  prepare  his  letter,  gained  the  interview  and  got 
the  position.  A  few  simple  rules  and  suggestions  on  the 
proper  methods  to  be  used  in  replying  to  the  usual 
"Wanted"  advertisements  may  be  of  benefit  to  a  great 
many.  In  writing  a  letter  of  application  for  a  position 
use  plain,  white,  unruled  letter  heads  of  full  sheet  busi- 
ness size,  writing  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only.  Don't 
use  stationery  with  a  name  die,  monogram,  or  initial  at 
the  top ;  it  carries  no  weight  whatever  with  the  man  of 
affairs  in  the  business  world. 

Never  use  hotel  stationery.  Few  people  who  apply  for 
positions  are  stopping  at  hotels.  The  writer  has  even 
received  replies  to  advertisements  written  on  letterheads 
bearing  the  names  of  billiard-room  proprietors.  It  is, 
perhaps,  needless  to  state  that  such  letters  were  at  once 
consigned  to  the  wastebasket.  When  completed  the 
letter  should  be  folded  twice,  placed  in  a  long  white 
commercial  envelope  of  regular  size,  and  carefully 
sealed.  There  are  two  reasons  for  doing  this :  first,  the 
letter  is  more  easily  opened  and  read  than  if  afterwards 
refolded  twice  across ;  and,  second,  it  will  stick  out  from 
the  others  received,  attracting  more  attention,  and  very 
likely  being  taken  hold  of  first,  as  promising  more  than 
the  others  at  hand. 

Be  very  sure  that  both  the  letter  sheet  and  envelope 
are  scrupulously  clean,  and  put  the  stamp  straight  in 
the  upper  right-hand  corner,  and  not  upside  down. 


•26 

Unless  you  are  applying  for  a  position  as  bookkeeper,. 
or  some  similar  situation,  where  handwriting  is  to  bo  a 
feature,  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  have  your  application 
typewritten.  It  is  much  more  easily  read.  Here  again 
you  have  the  advantage,  except  in  cases  noted  above, 
of  your  competitors. 

Unless  you  have  once  had  the  experience,  you  cannot 
realize  the  immense  amount  of  work  involved  in  read- 
ing over  perhaps  a  hundred  letters  from  applicants  for 
a  certain  position.  It  is  not  unusual  for  the  head  of  the 
house,  unless  the  place  he  wishes  to  fill  is  one  of  the 
greatest  importance,  to  turn  over  the  first  reading  of 
the  letters  to  an  assistant ;  here  is  where  the  clear  and 
legible  typewritten  application  gets  in  its  work.  It  is  a 
frequent  thing  for  shorthand  writers  to  write  a  letter 
along  these  lines,  but  very  rarely  has  it  seemed  to  occur 
to  the  applicant  outside  of  this  line  of  work  to  attempt 
it.  Whenever  I  have  received  a  letter  so  written,  I 
have  always  given  it  the  most  careful  attention.  It  is 
a  good  plan  for  the  applicant,  if  unused  to  the  type- 
writer, to  lay  out  his  letter  first  by  hand  and  then  carry 
it  to  a  public  Typewriting  Bureau,  where  it  will  be  type- 
written for  a  nominal  sum.  Remember  that  a  type- 
written letter  should  always  be  signed  in  your  hand- 
writing. 

If  you  cannot  take  advantage  of  the  typewritten 
letter,  be  sure  and  use  a  good  black  ink,  never  an 
aesthetic  purple,  green,  or  red,  and  make  your  writing 
as  legible  and  the  lines  as  horizontal  as  possible.  Be 
very  careful  that  all  the  words  are  correctly  spelt.  If 
there  is  any  possible  doubt  about  a  word,  consult  a 
dictionary.  If  you  should  spell  a  word  wrong  the  first 
time,  write  the  whole  letter  over;  a  crossed-out  word 
doesn't  look  well. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  enclose  postage  for  reply,  but  don't 
do  it  by  sticking  a  stamp  in  the  corner  of  your  letter 
sheet.  The  better  way  is  to  enclose  a  plain  envelope 
addressed  to  yourself  (typewritten  address,  if  possible), 
with  a  stamp  neatly  affixed  in  the  upper  right-hand 
corner.  A  small  envelope  will  easily  go  inside  your  own 
letter  and  it  is  better  than  a  large  one,  which  would 
have  to  be  folded. 

Always  start  a  letter  by  giving  the  name  of  the  place 
from  which  it  is  written,  followed  by  the  date,  all  in 
one  line,  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner. 


This  should  begin  say  two  full  inches  from  the  top  of 
the  page,  and  far  enough  to  the  left  to  prevent  crowd- 
ing before  the  year  is  reached.  To  the  left  of  this,  one 
inch  below  it  and  one  inch  from  the  left-hand  edge  of 
the  paper,  you  should  write  the  name  of  the  firm  to 
whom  you  are  writing,  or  the  initials  or  box  number,  if 
the  name  is  not  known,  and,  directly  under  this,  be- 
ginning in  the  middle  of  the  previous  line,  the  address, 
if  known.  This  latter  may  seem  superfluous,  but  it  is 
a  custom  followed  in  all  business  houses.  Then,  return- 
ing to  the  left,  directly  under  the  first  letter  of  the  name, 
and  perhaps  one  inch  below  it.  the  term  ''  Dear  Sirs," 
"Dear  Sir,"  or  "Dear  Madam."  as  the  case  may  be. 
Directly  under  the  last  letter  of  the  above  line,  you  may 
begin  the  actual  composition  of  the  letter  itself.  If 
you  have  followed  directions  carefully,  you  now  have  a 
lay-out  similar  to  the  following : — 

Edinburgh,  January  1,  1906. 

M!>M;s    JUNKS    and    JONES,    Edinburgh. 
Dear  Sirs : — 

Replying  to  your  advertisement  for  a  Shorthand 
Clerk,  I  can  state  that  I  have  the  following  qualifications 
for  the  position  : — 

I  am  twenty-three  years  of  age,  a  graduate  of  Burns'  Btisi- 
1  "liege,  and  have  had  live  years'  experience  in  mercantile 

I    am    accurate,    speedy    (take   —     -    words    a   minute1),    and 
can  operate  any  standard  make  of  machine. 
Awaiting  your  early  reply,   I   beg  to  remain. 

Yours    respectfully, 

JOHN    FYFE,  14  Queen  Street. 

Leave  a  generous  margin  at  the  left-hand  side,  keeping 
the  lines  of  the  whole  letter,  with  the  exception  of  the 
one  following  ''  Dear  Sir,"  on  a  line  with  the  beginning 
of  the  firm's  name,  except  where  paragraphs  occur.  It 
is  also  a  good  plan  to  leave  a  margin  of  half  an  inch  at 
the  right  of  the  page  all  the  way  down,  as  this  adds  neat- 
ness to  its  general  appearance.  Try  to  space  out  the 
words  at  the  right  of  your  letter  so  as  to  make  a  solid  and 
not  a  ragged  or  saw-edge  down  the  page.  It  is  the 
expression  of  your  thoughts  and  the  description  of  your 
qualities  which  are  of  the  gravest  importance,  and  on 
which  you  are  most  likely  to  stand  or  fall. 

First  of  all,  here  are  a  few  don'ts: — 


28 

Doi  i-ntlcmen  "  in  beginning  your  letter.  It's 

a  bit  strained.  Use  the  terms  ''Dear  Sirs,"  "Sir,"  or 
''  Madam."  as  the  case  may  be. 

Don't  say.  as  a  great  many  do,  "  Having  seen  your 
advertisement  in  the  morning  '  Herald/  I  take  the  liberty 
of  replying,"  etc.,  etc.  Remember  that  the  advertiser 
knows  you  saw  it  there  without  being  told,  and  you  are 
not  taking  '"liberties"  in  replying  to  a  notice  which  he 
paid  to  have  printed. 

Don't.  DOX'T,  DON'T  say,  "  I  feel  that  I  am  capable 
of  accepting  this  position,"  etc.  You  wouldn't  have 
answered  it  if  you  hadn't,  and  the  advertiser  doesn't 
care  how  you  feel,  anyway.  Out  out  all  your  feelings  and 
impressions  and  give  reasons,  real  reasons,  good  ones, 
why  he  should  hire  you. 

Don't  waste  a  single  word. 

Don't  make  one  long  jumble  of  your  letter.  Use  fre- 
quent paragraphs.  A  paragraph  is  what  "hits  out" 
strong  and  makes  the  recipient  "take  notice." 

Don't  write  too  long  a  letter;  one  sheet  if  typewritten, 
two  if  by  hand,  will  suffice  under  ordinary  circumstances. 

It  takes  a  mighty  interesting  writer  to  hold  the  atten- 
tion of  the  average  business  man  for  any  length  of  time 
between  the  hours  of  nine  and  six  o'clock  in  these  days. 
Remember  that  most  of  the  letters  he  will  receive  from 
other  applicants  will  be  very  muph  alike  in  general 
characteristics;  if  you  can  employ  a  little  originality  of 
form  it  may  be  appreciated. 

Another  thing  to  feature  in  your  letter  is  your  re- 
liability. Every  one  wants  a  reliable  man  or  woman,  one 
he  can  depend  on  and  trust.  Let  me  give  you  right  here 
the  six  greatest  characteristics  that  are  most  appreciated 
in  the  business  world  to-day.  Here  they  are,  and  don't 
forget  them : — 

Honesty,  knowledge,  industry,  responsibility,  accuracy, 
and  loyalty. 

I  wouldn't  use  the  term  "honesty"  in  writing  the 
application  letter,  for  that  quality  you  are  supposed  to 
possess  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  a  reference  to  it  might 
seem  overdoing  a  good  thing ;  but  here  is  a  sentence  you 
can  take  bodily  out  of  this  article  and  put  into  your 
letter,  which  will  strengthen  it  materially.  You  can  say, 
"  I  am  reliable,  industrious,  and  accurate  in  my  work, 
and  can  prove  myself  loyal  to  my  employer's  interests  at 
all  times." 


29 

The  following  is  in  effect  a  copy  of  a  letter  which  might 
be  followed  in  its  general  terms  with  success,  no  matter 
what  the  position  offered  v. 

Dear   Sirs  : — 

Replying  to  your  advertisement,   I  beg  to  state 
my  qualifications  as  follows  : — 
Age,    24. 

Birth.    (Fill    in    nationality. 1 
Education.       (State    here    where    educated.) 
Experience.    (Hen-    ^\\f   ;\    .  uf   previous   places 

held,  with  reasons  for  leaving  each.) 
Salary  expected,  at  start,  £2  per  week. 

Very   truly  yours. 

Name    

Addi 


References 


The  beauty  of  this  letter  is  the  terse,  concise,  and  clear 
definition  of  the  applicant's  qualifications,  without  un- 
necessary talk.  I  think  you  will  find  that  a  letter 
similarly  draughted  will  obtain  you  an  interview  nine 
times  out  of  ten,  without  regard  to  the  kind  of  position 
you  are  seeking.  Another  thing  of  the  utmost  importance 
in  business  to-day  is  accuracy,  the  ability  to  do  a  thing 
right  the  first  time.  If  you  have  this  qualification — I 
might  almost  say  talent — come  right  out  in  your  letter 
and  say  so  distinctly,  and,  between  ourselves,  if  you 
haven't  it  already,  lay  claim  to  its  possession  at  once,  and 
then  develop  it  when  you  get  the  position.  An  honest 
man  who  is  accurate  is  a  find  not  to  be  despised,  and  it 
will  often  be  the  open  sesame  to  a  good  place.  Don't  be 
afraid  to  speak  about  it  in  your  application. 


30 
PRACTICAL  SHORTHAND  WRITING. 


REPORTING    A    POLITICAL    MEETING. 


I'.Y      A      GLASGOW      JOURNALIST.) 


The  answer  to  the  question  of  "How  to  report  a 
political  meeting?"  obviously  depends  upon  the  extent 
and  the  kind  of  report  that  is  desired.  Taking  it  for 
granted  that  what  is  wanted  is  a  reproduction  in  full,  or 
in  more  or  less  abbreviated  form,  of  the  words  of  the 
speaker,  the  first  essential  equipment  of  the  reporter  is 
a  thorough  knowledge  and  command  of  shorthand. 

Since  the  advent  of  what  is  called,  appropriately 
jh,  the  new  journalism  there  has  been  a  tendency 
me  quarters  to  depreciate  the  value  of  shorthand 
as  a  reporting  medium.  It  is  assorted  that  the  shorthand 
reporter  is  necessarily  merely  mechanical.  This  is  neither 
;  fact  nor  good  reasoning,  and  the  contention  is 
usually  most  strongly  held  by  people  who  have  little 
knowledge  of  the  subject,  or  by  those  who,  from  one 
cause  or  another,  have  failed,  or  have  been  unable  to 
acquire  the  art  of  shorthand.  That,  however,  raises  con- 
troversial matter  on  an  issue  not  strictly  within  the 
subject  of  these  notes,  and  it  is  alluded  to  merely  by  way 
of  emphasising  the  opinion  that  reporting  worthy  of  the 
name  cannot  be  accomplished  without  the  aid  of  expert 
shorthand.  More  or  less  accurate  impressions  or  indica- 
tions of  the  purport  of  an  address  may  be  produced,  of 
course,  by  more  or  less  intelligent  people  with  the  aid  of 
longhand  notes ;  but  such  productions  are  not  really 
reports,  and  they  are  seldom  absolutely  reliable.  The 
subtle  points  of  a  pra-tisrd  public  sneaker — a  politician 
who  knows  the  value  of  oratorical  embellishment,  of 
developing  and  illustrating  and  enforcing  his  argument 
stage  by  stage  by  the  introduction  of  illuminating  and 
explanatory  phra.-.-s.  each  with  a  distinct  note  of  emphasis 
or  modification,  cannot  be  adequately  represented  by  the 
reporter  who  is  dependent  upon  the  ordinary  method  of 
writing  plus  his  memory,  which  he  probably  imagines  to 
be  exceptionally  good.  In  such  circumstances  his 
memory,  quite  unconsciously  perhaps,  is  apt  to  become 
even  more  "abbreviated"  than  his  longhand. 

The  news  agencies  who  supply  newspapers  in  all  parts 
of  the  country  with  reports  i,f  public  addresses  have  a 


31 

system  of  classifying  reports  of  political  speeches  into  a 
variety  of  categories,  such  as  verbatim,  column,  and  half- 
column.  If  the  speaker  is  an  occupant  of  either  of  the 
front  benches  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament  the  verbatim 
report  will  probably  be  taken  by  most  of  the  leading 
morning  newspapers.  A  staff  of  at  least  six  expert 
reporters  is  required  to  take  notes  of  the  speech  and 
transcribe  them  for  transmission  by  telegraph  in  time  to 
reach  their  distant  destinations  reasonably  early  in  the 
evening.  In  such  cases  what  is  called  a  two-minute  turn 
is  usually  taken.  That  is  to  say,  each  member  of  the 
corps  in  turn  takes  notes  of  the  speech  for  two  minutes. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  two  mini  eond  man  takes 

up  the  note-taking  where  the  first  left  off,  and  so  on 
until  the  sixth  man  has  taken  his  turn.  In  the  interval 
the  first  man  and  each  of  the  -  members  of  the 

combination  have  transcribed  the  notes  of  their  turns, 
and,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  should  be  clear  and  ready 
to  resume  note-taking  when  their  turns  again  come 
round.  In  this  way  each  reporter  has  ten  minutes  to 
transcribe  the  shorthand  notes  which  he  took  in  his  two- 
minute  turn.  Assuming  that  the  speech  is  delivered  at  a 
speed  of  130  words  per  minute — which  may  be  taken  as 
the  average  speed  of  the  best  politicians — each  man  has 
260  words  to  transcribe  in  ten  minutes,  giving  an  average 
of  26  words  per  minute.  Such  a  process  continued  for  an 
hour  and  a  quarter,  or  perhaps  an  hour  and  a  half, 
involves  a  strain,  physical  and  mental,  upon  everybody 
engaged  in  the  work  such  as  can  be  understood  only  by 
those  who  have  taken  part  in  it.  It  is  working  at  very 
high  pressure.  And  when  the  speed  increases  to  140 
words  per  minute,  as  is  not  infrequently  the  case,  the 
strain  becomes  very  >evere  indeed.  There  are  notable 
in  which  a  leading  statesman  has  been  reported 
verbatim  in  this  manner  by  a  staff  of  five  reporters,  who 
completed  the  report  within  ten  minutes  after  he  had 
finished  his  address,  but  this  is  something  of  the  character 
of  a  feat,  and  is  not  to  be  expected  except  in  exceptional 
circumstances. 

Still  -niore  severe  is  the  strain  upon  the  reporter  to 
whom  is  assigned  the  duty  of  condensing  a  three  or  four 
columns  speech  into  the  space  of  one  column.  It  might 
be  imagined  that  this  could  be  better  and  more  quickly 
accomplished  by  the  employment  of  two,  or  even  more 
reporters.  This  view  is  sound  only  so  far  as  rapidity  of 
production  is  concerned.  The  value  of  a  condensed 


32 

report     rotrardless    <if    its    length    <>r    brevity — lies    in    the 
ter  in  embodying  the  points  made  by 

the  r-pe:iker   and    giving   them  not  only   due   prominence, 

lint    with    a    sound    sense    of    their    relative    importance. 

This  can  be  done  only  by  a  reporter  \vlio  has  a  complete 

and    intei:  sp    of   the   speech    from   beginnii 

end,  -of  the  subject  under 

i  in    to   assign   to   each   phase   of    the 

•lit  of  fact  its  appropriate  place 

;ind   quani  to  the  limited  space 

at    In  .        From    these    considerations,    combined 

with  for    constant    watchfulness    of    the 

speal  that    no    point    may    be 

d.    and    ti  for   rapid   production   of   copy 

for  the  telegraph  operators,   it  will  be  apparent  that  the 

of   the   best   work   of   this    . 

must  oi    only    the   utmost   facility    in   shorthand 

•.ikiiiLr.  IMP  i   power  of  physical  endurance, 

and  important     than     either     of     these — wide 

•.il  quick  intelligence. 

In    the    production   of   a   half-column   report  of   a   long 
address,    it    is    o!>\  ious    that    the    condensation    must    be 

I'.ut    this  on 

crimination  in  the  curtailment  of  the  rhetorical  setting 
in  which  the  speaker  presents  his  argument.  Here,  again, 
only  :  accomplished  and  experienced  reporter 

obtains    tli  kill    in   shorthand    and    his 

readiness  in  discerning  the  salient  features  of  the  address 
enabling  him  to  present  in  this  succinct  form  a  sum- 
mary -mainly,  perhaps  wholly,  in  the  speaker's  own 
wurds  of  •  of  fact  oration,  in  which 

no  point   has  been  entirely  overlooked. 

K< •!•  ni  be  made  to  the  inconvenient  and  diffi- 

cult conditions  under  which  reporting  frequently  has  to 
be  done,  and  which,  of  course,  greatly  increase  the  strain 
upon  the  reporter.  It  is  time  enough,  however,  to  trouble 
about  such  things  \\hen  they  are  met  \\ith  in  actual 
experience.  It  is  hoped  that  if  what  is  here  written 
does  not  defer  any  reader  who  may  be  contemplating 
newspaper  reporting  as  an  occupation  from  seeking  to 
join  the  already  well-filled  ranks  of  journalism,  it  will 
at  least  lead  him  to  weigh  in  the  balance  the  induce- 
ment- of  other  callings  in  which,  at  all  events,  the  duties, 
if  perhaps  -more  monotonous,  are  also  infinitely  less 
laborious. 


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